Sam Shepard’s ‘True West’ to open Paramount’s fourth BOLD series July 16

Sibling rivalry collides with the American dream in Sam Shepard’s American classic “True West,” the opening show of Paramount Theatre’s fourth BOLD Series. Performances are July 16-Aug. 31 in Paramount’s intimate Copley Theatre, 8 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora.

Nominated for four Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, “True West” made Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre a household name in the early 1980s. More than 40 years later, Shepard’s explosive examination of masculinity, family roles and the American way of life remains raw, gritty and as powerful as ever, according to a news release from the theatre.

“True West” is set in a home 40 miles east of L.A., where Austin, a screenwriter, just wants to finish his script for the Hollywood producer ready to buy it. One problem: Austin’s estranged brother, Lee, a thief living off the grid in the desert, just popped in for a visit. After five years apart, Austin and Lee discover the only thing they have in common is a sense of cutthroat ambition, no matter who stands in the way. As conflict, contradictions and chaos boil up between the two, nerves and family ties fray, things go from tense to savage, and the tables turn for them both.

“True West” premiered in 1980 at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre, where Shepard was a resident playwright. It was produced Off-Broadway that same year at The Public Theatre starring Tommy Lee Jones and Peter Boyle. Soon after, it ran at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, famously featuring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise, and transferred off-Broadway to the Cherry Lane Theatre in 1982.

Steppenwolf’s production aired in 1984 on American Playhouse on PBS, where it gained a national audience. In 2000, “True West” debuted on Broadway with Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly, earning four Tony nominations including Best Play. It has since been revived multiple times on the West End, on TV starring Bruce Willis, and on Broadway in 2018 with Ethan Hawke and Paul Dano.

“True West” starts previews Wednesday, July 16. Two previews are Pay-What-You-Can: Thursday, July 17 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, July 19 at 2 p.m.

Performances run through Aug. 31: Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Thursday at 7 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

For tickets and information, visit ParamountAurora.com or call the Paramount Theatre box office at 630-896-6666.