True West

In Sam Shepard's play "True West", it seems to me that the pauses are just as important as the dialogue.  They establish the underlying menace, set up some of the play's funniest moments, and also reveal regret, indecision and fear between Lee and Austin.  I especially enjoyed the brother relationship between Lee and Austin who invoke the feelings of loyalty, love, hate and the jealousy that arises from the different paths they've taken.  The play invokes the true spirit of sibling rivalry, taking it almost too far into the reality of losing all control, such as when Austin strangles Lee at the end of the play.  This breaking point is extremely relevant to the idea of human nature and instincts.  Once Austin passes that threshold of composure, he completely loses all semblance of the person he is supposed to be.  I found this play extremely interesting, especially because in my directing class we are working on plays that resemble this exploration of human relationships down to their core.  I also found it very interesting that their mother did not have a bigger role in the show, after all the show takes place in her home.  However, she doesn't come in until the end, and the minute things turn awry and her sons start brawling, she immediately takes her leave.  I wonder if she cars at all that both her sons wanted to venture out into the desert possibly to never be seen or heard from again?
Regardless, I found this play to be excellent, from its ominous opening to it's startling closing moments.  Sam Shepard is a fabulous master American dramatist, and I would definitely like to read more of his works to tie in his theme in True West with his style throughout his other various works.