Drama; Family Drama; Realism
Put it on the Stage
True West is a drama in the true "literature written to be performed" sense. While we sometimes think of drama as anything that is dramatic or even just "sad," the drama genre is about works that are generally meant to go beyond the page to the stage.
In drama, action and dialogue drive the story forward, define the characters, and are responsible for almost every aspect of storytelling. Of course, there can be crazy sets, dazzling lights, or even a helicopter landing on stage, but at the end of the day, it's the action and the characters' words that move things forward. True West is a play; it's a work of drama that can stand out when read, but to truly get the full effect of it, it needs to be seen.
All in the Family
There's an old term, "Kitchen Sink Drama," used to describe plays that mainly take place within a home and feature some sort of domestic crisis at the center. These plays often have few characters and one set. These are good old-fashioned family dramas.
True West falls into this category, but it also subverts the traditions of the classic kitchen sink or family drama. For starters, the domestic unit in True West is skewed from the beginning. The brothers at the center of the drama—Austin and Lee—are estranged. They haven't really seen each other in five years. Furthermore, their mother is away and their father left a long time ago. They don't seem to be much of a family at all.
Luckily, Shepard is a master at connecting Austin and Lee to each other and to their past. Within minutes, the relationship between Lee and Austin becomes a skewed but wholly recognizable relationship between two brothers who have always secretly envied each other. Of course, if you think this is going to be about two men reconnecting and reminiscing about the good times in their youth, you haven't read much Sam Shepard. Here's an exchange that takes place between Austin and Lee late in Act 1:
LEE: You could call the police. That'd be the obvious thing.
AUSTIN: You're my brother.
LEE: That don't mean a thing. You go down to the L.A. Police Department there and ask them what kinda' people kill each other the most. What do you think they'd say? […] Family people. Brothers. (1.4.144-151)
This illuminates the conflict and foreshadows the showdown that stands at the center of this family drama. However, to be a true family drama, we need more than just the two brothers. Luckily, Austin and Lee spend a lot of their time talking about their father. We gather that he left them in the past, and that both have tried, in their way, to help him. However, we also see that while Lee wants the "old man" to be a part of the family, Austin has given up on that idea entirely:
AUSTIN: He's not gonna' change. Let's leave the old man out of it. (1.4.204)
We have the two brothers and at least a sense of who their father is. Then, at the very end, their mother shows up, and the family drama is complete. The nicely kept suburban house has led us to believe that their mother is just a regular suburban lady. This is another way in which Shepard completely subverts the family drama tradition.
When Mom (she is only called "Mom" in the play) comes home, she should be the one to restore order. Instead, she babbles about meeting a dead artist; she belittles Austin—which leads in part to his final melt down—and she calmly watches and occasionally interjects as her sons almost kill each other.
So True West fits the family drama bill. It just happens to deal with a really messed up family.
Keep it Real, Bro
Yes, there is symbolism in True West, and sure the end gets a little metaphorical, but this is a realistic play by almost any measure. Shepard creates dialogue that is meant to reflect the way people speak. People cut each other off, they speak in a straightforward manner, they jump from thought to thought, and they even use horrendous grammar sometimes:
LEE: I mean I don't wanna break into yer uh—concentration or nothin'. (1.1.45-46)
The set and costumes of True West also reflect the realism of the play. Take a look at the production notes from Shepard's collection, Seven Plays:
"The set should be constructed realistically with no attempt to distort its dimensions, shapes, objects, or colors[…]Likewise, the costumes should be exactly representative of who the characters are and not added onto for the sake of making a point to the audience" (Shepard, Seven Plays 3-4).
Now, people have a tendency to lump realism in with naturalism when it comes to plays. They are not the same thing. True West is not a simple "slice of life." These characters are in a heightened situation and they are not your average, everyday folk to begin with. This show gets crazy and over-the-top, but it's still a realistic play. People aren't spouting poetry at every turn, nor are they hopping in a time-traveling airship or anything like that. Their problems are realistic; they just handle them a little differently than most people probably would.