The Illinois State University School of Theatre and Dance will present Sam Shepard’s A Lie of the Mind, opening September 27. Performances will be held in the Center for the Performing Arts Theatre and will run through October 1.
A teaser scene from the show will be performed on the Quad from 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, September 27, at the SEVEN Dimensions of Wellness program kickoff sponsored by Illinois State’s Office of Health Promotion and Wellness.
First performed on December 5, 1985, at the Promenade Theater in New York City, A Lie of the Mind involves two desperate families connected by the marriage of the son of one to the daughter of the other. As the play progresses, the tensions between the two families grow increasingly disturbing and dangerous. The play explores the compulsions of love, the search for truth, and the ties that can bind families or rip them apart. By the play’s end, “the family’s buried secrets eventually surface to demand confrontation; the truth of our experience collides with the lies of our minds.” (Scholar, Lynda Hart).
Shepard, an actor, director, and Pulitzer-winning playwright, died in July at the age of 73. His plays are known for their gritty examination of characters in search of the American dream, the boldness of his writing, and his ability to authentically portray the darkness in humanity. In describing his process of writing, Shepard said, “There are these territories inside all of us … and that’s what interests me more than anything: where those territories lie. I mean, you have these assumptions about somebody and all of a sudden, this other thing appears. Where is that coming from? That’s the mystery. That’s what’s so fascinating.”
Performances of A Lie of the Mind are September 27 through September 30 at 7:30 p.m., with two matinees on September 30 and October 1 at 2 p.m. All performances will take place at the Center for Performing Arts Theatre.
For tickets or information, contact the College of Fine Arts Box Office, located in the Center for the Performing Arts and open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, at (309) 438-2535. Tickets can also be purchased at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Performance parking is available for free in the School Street Parking Deck, 400 W. Beaufort St., in Normal, in spots 250 and above.
