THEATRE RESPONSE: TRUE WEST

Last night I witnessed a showstopper - not in a musical but in Sam Shepard's brilliant, funny, touching & sometimes disturbing play True West currently in previews at San Jose Stage Company. My dear friend Linda Hoy went with me and every time I am out with her I feel like I am with a Bay Area theatre celebrity. Not only did she know everyone at the theatre, but she had audience members coming up to her to tell her how much they admire her work. I brought a great date! =+)

The cast assembled for this piece are beyond first-rate starting with Rod Gnapp whose performance in Act I was quiet and in Act II was a revelation - this man is one of the best actors I have seen perform in the Bay Area. What a talent. He is equally matched by Randall King who was just as brilliant. They both have a kind of stage chemistry that you just can't buy. By the time the lights came down at the end of the play, I felt chills like I haven't felt watching a play in a long, long time. The last time I felt this way was watching Eden Espinosa sing the end of Defying Gravity in Wicked. But this electrifying feeling in a play - you have to go see it.

It was such a joy to see my friend Gary Martinez on stage. He was a very dear man to me during Into The Woods and once again he shows what an amazing theatre talent he is. I can't say enough about this production - the acting, the play itself, the set (I won't give too much away but let's just say that I would hate to be stage crew in this play) and its background - the lighting and even the music - all superb. Did I say you should go see this? GO SEE THIS!! It is a theatrical event.