A Lie of the Mind [Paperback]

Sam Shepard (Author), Sam Shepard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1998

Currently a critical and box office sensation, Sam Shepard's newest play is amasterpiece of poetic and theatrical brilliance that looks unerringly at loveand family in the American West.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA The play opens with Frankie on the phone with his brother Jake, who claims to have killed his wife, Beth. Next, the lights come up on a hospital room where Beth lies, bandaged, aphasic, and confused. Alternating the action between platforms on either side of the stage where Beth's and Jake's families live, Shepard exposes the secrets of sordid pasts of insanity, alcoholism, and alienation. High-school theater students should find a number of short scenes suitable for two-person dialogues. Props and costumes would not be needed for classroom readings. A short radio monologue by Shepard and Joseph Chaikin, The War in Heaven, is included in the last 19 pages of the book. Music notes, a set description, and stage directions accompany the dialogue. Alice Conlon, University of Houston
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 72 pages
• Publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc. (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822206560
• ISBN-13: 978-0822206569
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #286,032 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sam Shepard was born in 1943 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois. He moved to New York from California just as the off-Broadway theatre scene was emerging. He has written more than forty plays, of which elev en have won 'Obie' awards, besides collections of stories, prose writing and screenplays. His plays include Buried Child, The Late Henry Moss, Simpatico, Curse of the Starving Class, True West, Fool for Love, A Lie of the Mind, and States of Shock. His screenplay for Paris, Texas won the Golden Pa lm Award at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and he directed his own screenplay, Far North, in 1988. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Shepard received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992, and in 1994 he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars His Most Popular Play Among Playwrights, November 28, 2001

By 

Johnna J. Adams (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Lie of the Mind (Plume) (Paperback)

In almost every playwriting class I have taken the teacher has asked the participants to go around the room and discuss their favorite plays. A Lie of the Mind is always everyone's favorite Shepard play. I have curiously never heard playwrights mention Fool for Love, Buried Child, or Curse of the Starving Class which are much more popular with actors and directors (and the Pulitzer Committee). True West is sometimes a favorite for its tight X-shaped structure. But, A Lie of the Mind has a gorgeous ensemble feel, interwining the lives of two troubled families into an alcoholic and violent aria of tortured love. I have seen it performed twice and seen actors work on each individual scene as class work so it haunts me a lot and never fails to astonish. The play has a heartbeat and sweet warm flesh. It also has one of the most dramatic and involving beginning scenes ever penned. A must read for playwrights interested in writing ensemble pieces.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sam Shepard's best, April 13, 2011

By 

Sarah R. Nottingham (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Lie of the Mind (Paperback)

I love this play! Sam Shepard is a brilliant playwright and has done it once again.

Lie of the Mind is relatable with a beautiful storyline and solid characters.

Hard to find at booksellers, order it here and save some time and money.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An accurate portrayal of imperfect human nature., April 5, 2000

By 

"redsadiekins" - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Lie of the Mind (Plume) (Paperback)

This wonderful drama is a great example of the imperfect quality of human nature. Even the characters that seem to be the most put together have their own weaknesses and foibles. Shepard has done a very good job of constructing the scenes in a logical manner, appropriately switching between the homes of two different, yet strongly connected families. One of the crowning achievements of this drama is that it draws you in and makes you feel for the characters of the two midwestern families, especially Beth, the now-mentally damaged wife of Jake. I have not seen this play performed but if the written play can draw you the reader in so deeply, I can only imagine what the performed piece can do to the audience. I highly reccomend this drama to anyone who loves to read well-written plays.