Production Dates: May 24 – June 8, 2019
Opening Night: May 24, 2019
HOUSTON— A Lie of the Mind explores the destinies of two desperate families, linked by marriage but set apart by jealousies and distrust after a severe incident of spousal abuse leaves all their lives altered. Tensions and enmities that motivate the two families grow increasingly disturbing and dangerous over the course of this three-act play. Filled with themes of memories, violence and family, this winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award is described by the New York Times as a “blurred collective sense of self that anyone who has been part of a family is going to identify with.”
(photography by Gary Griffin); DDTCO A Lie of the Mind
Co-directors Malinda L. Beckham and Trevor B. Cone describe A Lie of the Mind as “a play that speaks as clearly to us today as it did at its 1985 premiere. Each character is longing for human connection but is hindered by their circumstances. The lack of connection to another person causes frustration, conflict, and even lashing out in violence. Ironically, in our spotlight, internet-connected society where we are hyper-aware of the unfair treatment of others, we cannot prevent these dropped connections from occurring, nor the tragic episodes that follow.”
Beckham and Cone are two of three founding members of Dirt Dogs Theatre Co., as well as artistic director and executive director, respectively. For DDTCo. Beckham has directed A Steady Rain, Glengarry Glen Ross, and The Exonerated, and Cone directed the first three selections in Five by TENN and Life x 3. The creative team includes Mark Lewis (scenery design), Andrew Vance (lighting design), Katherine Rinaldi (costume design), Elizabeth Nguyen (sound design) and Barbara Alicea-Aponte (production stage manager).
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Sam Shepard is an actor, author, director, playwright and screenwriter. His plays include the 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning Buried Child, as well as the Tony-nominated True West, and Fool for Love. He is the author of 44 plays, as well as several books of essays, memoirs, and short stories. Shepard directed two films, Far North and Silent Tongue and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff. His final acting appearances were in the film Never Here and the Netflix original series Bloodline. Shepard died in 2017.
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DETAILS
CALENDAR LISTING
Theatre/Performing Arts
WHAT
A Lie of the Mind
WHO
Written by Sam Shepard
Directed by Malinda L. Beckham and Trevor B. Cone (77077)
Featuring
Role Actor ZIP Previous DDTCo. credits
Jake Alan Brincks 77003 Dirt Dogs debut
Frankie Michael Morrison 77429 Dirt Dogs debut
Beth Annie Wild 77043 Dirt Dogs debut
Mike Norm Dillon 77008 Dirt Dogs debut
Sally Ellen Dyer Smith 77095 Dirt Dogs debut
Lorraine Sally Burtenshaw 77069 Dirt Dogs debut
Meg Jeanette Sebesta 77469 Five by TENN: The Long Goodbye (Mother)
Baylor Casey Coale 77096 Glengarry Glen Ross (Baylen)
WHEN
May 24 – June 8, 2019
PERFORMANCES
Opening night
Friday, May 24, 2019 (reception following the performance)
Evenings
8pm | Fridays & Saturdays, May 24, 25 & 31, and June 1, 7 & 8
7:30pm | Thursdays, May 30 and June 6
7:30pm | Monday, June 3
Matinees
2pm | Sundays, May 26 and June 2
Talk back (with directors & cast)
Thursdays, May 30 and June 6 | after the performance
Approximate run time
2 hrs 45 min (including two 10-minute intermissions)
WHERE
MATCH – Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston
Matchbox 3, The John P. McGovern Foundation Theater, 3400 Main St., Houston, TX 77002
BOX OFFICE
713.521.4533 | https://matchouston.org/events/2019/lie-mind
TICKETS
Single tickets, $25
Matinees and Industry Mondays are “Pay What You Can”
PRESS CONTACT
Trevor B. Cone, Executive Director
713.561.5113
ABOUT DIRT DOGS THEATRE CO.
Dirt Dogs Theatre Co. creates multi-faceted theatrical productions that enrich and entertain audiences, inspire artists, and honor playwrights. It was established in 2015 by Houston theatre veterans, Trevor B. Cone, Malinda L. Beckham, and John Baker. Dirt Dogs collaborates with Houston artists and playwrights to provide an opportunity for new works to be seen, and previously produced ones to breathe new life. www.dirtdogstheatre.org.