Lie of the Mind, A

The Oxford Companion to American Theatre | 2004 | 700+ words | Copyright

Lie of the Mind, A (1985), a play by Sam Shepard. [Promenade Theatre, 185 perf.; NYDCC Award.] Jake ( Harvey Keitel) believes he has beaten his wife Beth to death and so runs away. Beth ( Amanda Plummer) is not dead, but she has suffered brain damage and is returned to her oddball family. Jake's brother, Frankie ( Aidan Quinn), visits them, hoping to bring about a reconciliation or at least an understanding while Jake returns to his home and his flighty mother ( Geraldine Page). In the end Jake and Beth are left to work out for themselves their probably bleak futures. Although the play took four hours to perform, it was usually gripping, especially in the fine production accorded it. However, viewed from a distance it could be seen as a modern‐day Tobacco Road, crossed with strong influences of The Glass Menagerie school of drama.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Lie of the Mind, A." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Lie of the Mind, A." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-LieoftheMindA.html

Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Lie of the Mind, A." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-LieoftheMindA.html

Learn more about citation styles