True West Reviews

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"...“True West,” to my mind, could accommodate even more intensity than these two actors forge here. But there’s not a moment here that does not ring true and essential, on a clever set from Lauren M. Nichols that follows the playwright’s demand that there be no expressionistic weirdness. Frankly, I was blown away by how well this play works in the here and now, how relevant it feels. I didn’t feel the same way about “Fool for Love” when I saw it relatively recently at Steppenwolf Theatre, but “True West,” especially Corti’s “True West,” has it all going on. If you’re in shouting distance of Aurora, you won’t regret the roughly 50 bucks or the two hours in its company."

Daily Herald - Highly Recommended

"...One of my favorite Sam Shepard monologues occurs in “True West,” his dark, 1980 dramedy in a superbly acted revival at Aurora's Paramount Theatre. It comes at the end of the first act, as rival siblings — Lee (Ben Page), a drifter and thief, and Austin (Jack Ball), his Ivy League-educated brother — reach a tense détente over a screenplay they're writing."

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...There is a reason that The Paramount Theatre has a series called "The Bold Series" that is presented across the street at their Copley Theatre. They choose plays that will shake you up, make you think and often reanalyze the choices in life that we take ( or have taken). The current production, "True West" is over 40 years old, and yet, what Sam Shepard wrote makes sense, even today. Think of sibling rivalry and family conflicts. If you are an only child, this particular experience has no bearing in your life. If you are the middle child, you probably grew up trying to compete with the number one ( always the best of the best) and the "baby" (who can do no wrong). In Shepard's story we have two such brothers."

Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended

"...Paramount Theatre continues another exciting new Bold Series of smaller cast plays and musicals at the Copley Theatre. It’s launched by this excellent, breathtaking and thought-provoking production of Sam Shepard’s American classic. Amid all the anguish and pain, the pride and humility, a phalanx of feelings flow within and between these two brothers that seem honest and empathetic. Ultimately we see two men, portrayed by a pair of terrific young actors, who are, as Saul comments, two sides of the same coin. And in appreciating this observation, we can also see that in Shepard’s riveting tale of sibling rivalry, we have another case where opposites attract."

Splash Magazine - Highly Recommended

"...I don't really know what more there could be to say about True West. The play has been acclaimed and produced again and again. I guess what readers need to know is whether this is a production that is worth their time, and if True West is your kind of play, it absolutely is."

Allie and the After Party - Somewhat Recommended

"...Two estranged brothers show up at their mother’s house in the Los Angeles foothills - one an accomplished screenwriter and the other an off-the-grid petty thief. Trying to avoid conflict, the two dance around each other as they inhabit the same space until one is able to overtake the other and they send each other spiraling."