Manipulative. Distraught. Insane. Desperate. Dazed.

These are all words that the actors of “True West” chose to describe what it was like being a part of this Sam Shepard-penned classic. It’s hard to ignore the fact that out of every word selected, none have a positive connotation. Such darkness and lack of optimism is what makes the story of “True West” so disturbingly attention-grabbing.

“True West” is the story of two estranged brothers who are reconnected, for the first time in a long time, in their mother’s home. Lee is a fugitive drifter who has been living in the desert, and his younger brother Austin is a struggling screenwriter who has left his family in upper California to house-sit his mother’s home while she’s on vacation.

From the opening act of the play, the tenuous relationship between the siblings is apparent. As the action unfolds, the trauma and fault lines of the obvious inevitable explosion become ever more visible. The upsurge of envy between Austin and Lee results in sudden, loud, violent outbursts that both startle and excite audiences.

Senior Pieter Maddens, sophomore Steven Pearce and junior Thomas Worden headlined Iona College Theater’s Production of “True West.” Maddens, playing Lee, and Pearce and Worden trading off the role of Austin, did an absolutely unbelievable job of embracing their inner insanity.

What’s most remarkable is that these students are not only partners in this production; they are the best of friends off the stage as well. They have worked together numerous times as part of the Skits O’Frenicks improv group at Iona. Despite the familiarly, the physical and vicious tests of “True West” are much different from those in their comedy sketches.

“Because we are in Skits O’s we are also very active with each other and active with each other, but in the Skits O’s it’s improvisation and so you never really know what’s going to happen, but here we have been doing it for the past three months, we were able to work it out to the tiniest details,” Maddens said.

Maddens, Pearce, and Worden play characters struggling to find themselves. The personal conundrum of “Who am I and who do I want to be?” consumes both brothers. Brian Sears, a 2013 graduate of Iona, commended the performers on their ability to bring each character’s identity crisis to vivid life.

“The intensity these actors had portraying this story was unbelievable,” said Sears. “Sweat dripping, things flying, emotional chaos as it occurs and how it is mirrored physically…”

Sam Shepard wrote complex themes in “True West” back in 1980, and now, even 33 years later, those themes are still incredibly powerful. The idea of duality is raised into question; is there a persona hidden deep inside everyone? And if so, what does it take to have that dark side emerge? “True West” explores this idea and uses the classic idea of a sibling rivalry to bring it to life. Austin falls most prey to this family warfare; he finds it difficult to swallow some sudden success that Lee finds and as a result, sanity escapes the realm of thought for the assumed-to-be calm family man.

“True West” is not a story for those expecting a happy resolution. Love and family does not overcome all, and that is what makes this dramatic tragedy so good. Maddens, Pearce and Worden deserve credit for carrying “True West” to truly over-the-top heights. Every action is punctuated with an exclamation mark; every word is sharpened with a cutting depth. Iona’s production of “True West” succeeds in making insanity look beautiful.