Mary Moody Northern Theater gave a heart-wrenchingly beautiful performance of “A Lie of the Mind” in its second show of the season.

“A Lie of the Mind” by Sam Shepard examines relationships and the true definition of love as it follows a marriage left in shreds when Jake (junior Matthew Garcia) beats Beth (senior Meredith Montgomery) nearly to death. As Jake and Beth, as well as their families, try to heal, the deeper message conveyed by dark humor explores love and loss and the lengths families will go for closure.

Garcia and Montgomery maintained the perfect balance. Garcia’s portrayal of a man desperate to be with his wife while fighting a slew of demons evokes all the right emotions. Montgomery too delivers an amazing performance in her role as a woman abused so badly that she suffers brain injury. She provides a truly believable child-like and brain-damaged performance as well as a hauntingly beautiful image of the woman she once was.

There were no small parts on the stage.  Sophomore Jon Richardson does an excellent job as Jake’s brother, providing a likable and loyal character that has his serious and comedic moments.

Senior Kenny Dolin, as Mike, Beth’s overprotective brother, gives a stark contrast to Richardson’s character. Dolin’s performance was perfectly dead pan and led to comedic relief as well as a scary seriousness.

Lorraine, Jake’s mother, played by equity artist and St. Edward’s faculty member Shelia Gordon, as well as Jake’s sister, Sally, played by junior Hannah Fonder, work beautifully with one another to illustrate a mother desperate for the love of a man and a daughter yearning for her mother’s love.

Rod Porter, an equity guest playing Baylor, and Bernadette Nason, an equity guest playing Meg, provide a vividly real depiction of a decaying marriage and the struggles of dealing with their daughter Beth’s condition.

 The actors and actresses weren’t the only ones delivering strong performances. Senior Danielle Richter provided superb makeup and hair design, from bruises on Beth’s face to dried blood on Jake’s. Phillip Owen’s sound design worked well with the play’s Americana feel and rustic landscape. Costume design, by Jen J. Madison, fit in perfectly with the play’s time period and setting. Lighting design by Kathryn Eader gave the play its necessary illumination as well as a background to its dream scenes and closing scene. Lisa Laratta’s scenic design allowed just enough for the audience to understand the scene but was minimal enough that the audience could experience the play.

Jared J. Stein provides the audience with a beautifully executed production that more than lives up to Sam Shepard’s play.

“A Lie of the Mind” runs from Nov. 10 through Nov. 20 at the Mary Moody Northern Theatre. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 and Sundays at 2:00.