I've just been checking the poll options and I have a question about one.
Where did the title come from: We steal toasters too!
From 'True West', one of the epic-est things Gary ever did
If you don't know about it, 'True West' is a play written by Sam Shepard in 1980 that Gary hounded Shepard's publicist for to get the rights to produce it at Steppenwolf. In 1982 he finally received permission, and a hallmark in theatre performance was born. The play is about two very dysfunctional brothers. The younger is Austin (Gary), a playwright still trying to make it big and get his break; the older is Lee (John Malkovich), a lowlife, drunk and petty thief. The two haven't seen each other in five years when Lee suddenly shows up at their mother's house where Austin is attempting to work on a screenplay that he hopes will finally get a producer's approval. To say that Lee turns Austin's life upside down with blinding speed is an understatement.
The specific reference to stealing toasters comes from about half-way through the play when Lee has successfully swooped in and essentially snatched Austin's finally approved screenplay away, having played and entranced Austin's producer into liking his story for a movie better. Saul (the producer) offered to keep going with Austin's screenplay only if Austin agreed to write Lee's as well. Austin refuses, and these clips pick up the next scene after that. The brothers have essentially switched places - Lee now being the one who's trying to write a screenplay while Austin gets drunk and throws back all the taunts and snide comments that Lee did when he first arrived.
http://youtu.be/P1zy_LDf6aI
http://youtu.be/SXYV2XJ5JT0
This is the acting Gary I love, the one who shows the incredible range and talent he has, the one who makes me so wish that more than anything he'd perform at Steppenwolf again.... I have watched and listened (I made an mp3 of the audio of TW) to this play so much that I have the entire thing memorized. And when Gary as Mac says something with a same inflection or exact parallel as something from 'True West' (I've dubbed such things "Austin channeling"
), I *squeeee* a little bit :lol:
Anyway, the entire play is on Youtube, and I would more than highly recommend its viewing. Mind you, the quality is relatively poor as the only time it was filmed was for PBS in 1984 and it's only been released once on VHS way back then... Still, it's priceless, and you should go watch it!
Austin: "I'm going to go out, and I'm going to steal me a toaster!"
