Nutley Little Theatre presents "True West"

originally published: 03/30/2026

Artwork by Erin Sabat

(NUTLEY, NJ) -- Nutley Little Theatre presents True West by Sam Shepard across three weekends from April 10-25, 2026. This American classic explores alternatives that might spring from the demented terrain of the California landscape.

Sons of a desert-dwelling alcoholic and a suburban wanderer clash over a film script. Austin, the achiever, is working on a script he has sold to producer Sal Kimmer when Lee, a demented petty thief, drops in. He pitches his own idea for a movie to Kimmer, who then wants Austin to junk his bleak, modern love story and write Lee's trashy Western tale.

Directed by John Fraissinet, the cast includes Dalton Gorden (Lee), Nick Westemeyer (Austin), Joe Paul (Saul), and Donna Fraissinet (Mom). The Stage Manager is Jennifer Elizabeth-Cooper.

Performances take place April 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24 & 25 at 8:00pm; and April 12, 19 & 25th at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. The theater is located at 47 Erie Place in Nutley, New Jersey.

Please note, this show is not suitable for children.

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Tickets will also be available at the Box Office. The Box office opens 30 minutes before show time. Note: They only accept cash, Venmo and PayPal at the Box Office.

Doors open a half hour before show time. Please note, seating is not assigned. Seating is on a first come first serve basis.

Refunds: If you purchased tickets ahead of time online, but are looking for a refund or exchange, please refer to your email confirmation from CUR8 and follow those instructions. If you cannot locate that email, please call CUR8 customer service as NLT cannot issue the refund or exchange. CUR8 can issue exchanges and refunds up until 1 hour before showtime as per their policy.

Please note, the theater is NOT handicap accessible.

No outside food or drinks will be permitted.

Parking: There is a small parking lot right outside of the theater. Our traffic volunteers will hold these parking spots for elderly or pregnant patrons. There is a parking lot located at the school across the street. You may also park on either side of Brookfield Ave. Please note, parking is NOT permitted on Erie Place.

True West premiered at the Magic Theatre in San Franciso on July 10, 1980. Directed by Robert Woodruff, this initial production starred Peter Coyote as Austin, Jim Haynie as Lee, Tom Dahlgren as Saul Kimmer and Carol McElheney as Mom. It later premiered off-Broadway at The Public Theater on December 23, 1980. Directed again by Woodruff, this version featured Tommy Lee Jones and Peter Boyle. The show would go on to many more off-Broadway, Broadway and West End productions over the decades, with star-studded runs as Gary Sinise with John Malkovich, Philip Seymour Hoffman with John C. Reilly, and Ethan Hawk with Paul Dano.

Sam Shepard (1943-2017)’s first New York plays, Cowboys and The Rock Garden, were produced by Theatre Genesis in 1964. For several seasons, he worked with off-off-Broadway theatre groups including La MaMa and Caffe Cino. Eleven of his plays won Obie Awards, including Chicago, The Tooth of the Crime and Curse of the Starving Class. Other award-winning plays include Fool for Love, True West, A Lie of the Mind, and Buried Child, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1979.

In 1986, Shepard was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and he received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992. He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame two years later. As a writer and director, he filmed Far North and Silent Tongue. As an actor, he appeared in numerous films, including The Right Stuff, Days of Heaven and Resurrection. His final works of prose, The One Inside and Spy of the First Person, were published in 2017, the year of his death.

For 90 years, Nutley Little Theatre has been producing high quality theatrical entertainment for the enjoyment of Nutley residents and surrounding communities. Started in 1934, NLT prides itself on providing a range of live theater: the all-volunteer organization presents six mainstage shows per year, showcasing a range of genres including musicals, comedies, and drama. It also offers free Readers’ Theatre performances, special events, and creative workshops that bring people together from all walks of life from in and around Nutley.

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