The Curse Of The Starving Class: A Review of Sam Shepard's Play
The Curse Of The Starving Class is a play by American playwright Sam Shepard, first performed in 1978. It is a dark comedy that explores the themes of family dysfunction, poverty, alcoholism, and the American dream. The play follows the Weston family, who live in a rundown farmhouse in California. The father, Weston, is a violent alcoholic who has sold the house to a developer without telling his wife, Ella, or his children, Wesley and Emma. Ella is planning to escape with a lawyer named Taylor, who promises to take her to Europe. Wesley is a rebellious teenager who tries to protect the family's only asset, a lamb that he keeps in the kitchen. Emma is a rebellious teenager who dreams of becoming a poet and runs away with a group of bikers. The play also features Ellis, a shady businessman who wants to buy the house; Emerson, a corrupt cop who works for Ellis; Malcolm, a friend of Weston's who owes him money; and Slater, a neighbor who wants to buy the lamb.
The Curse Of The Starving Class Script Pdf
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The play is divided into three acts, each with a different setting and tone. The first act takes place in the kitchen of the Weston house, where the family members argue and fight over their situation. The second act takes place in a bar, where Weston and Malcolm get drunk and encounter Ellis and Emerson. The third act takes place in the living room of the Weston house, where the family faces the consequences of their actions and decisions. The play ends with a shocking twist that reveals the true nature of the curse of the starving class.
The play is written in a realistic style, but also incorporates elements of absurdism and surrealism. For example, the play features a live lamb on stage, which symbolizes innocence and hope. The play also features an exploding refrigerator, which symbolizes violence and chaos. The play also breaks the fourth wall by having characters address the audience directly or comment on the action of the play. The play also uses humor and irony to contrast the tragic events of the plot.
The play is considered one of Shepard's best works and one of the most influential plays of American theater. It has been praised for its originality, its critique of American society, its characterization, its dialogue, and its dramatic impact. It has also been criticized for its pessimism, its misogyny, its violence, and its lack of resolution. The play has been adapted into several films and television shows, as well as staged by various theater companies around the world.
The Curse Of The Starving Class is a play that challenges the audience to question their own values and beliefs about family, money, happiness, and freedom. It is a play that exposes the dark side of the American dream and the human condition. It is a play that offers no easy answers or solutions, but rather invites the audience to reflect on their own lives and choices.
The play was written by Sam Shepard, one of the most influential and original playwrights of American theater. Shepard was born in 1943 in Illinois and grew up on military bases and farms across the country. He moved to New York City in 1963 and became involved in the Off-Off-Broadway scene, where he wrote and directed experimental plays that challenged the conventions of theater. He also pursued a career as an actor, appearing in films such as Days of Heaven (1978), The Right Stuff (1983), for which he received an Oscar nomination, and Black Hawk Down (2001). He also collaborated with other artists such as Bob Dylan, Patti Smith, and Wim Wenders. He died in 2017 at the age of 73.
The play is considered a masterpiece of Shepard's work and a classic of American drama. It reflects his personal experiences and observations of the American society and culture, especially the myths and realities of the West, the family, and the individual. It also showcases his distinctive style of writing, which combines realism and surrealism, humor and tragedy, poetry and prose. The play has been praised for its powerful dialogue, its complex characters, its dramatic structure, and its emotional impact. It has also been criticized for its bleakness, its ambiguity, its violence, and its lack of closure.
The play has been performed by various theater companies around the world, as well as adapted into other media. In 1987, a film version was directed by Robert Altman and starred James Woods, Kathy Bates, Randy Quaid, and Tess Harper. In 1994, a television version was directed by Jace Alexander and starred James Woods, Kathy Bates, Henry Thomas, and Kristin Fiorella. In 2008, a revival was staged on Broadway by Anna D. Shapiro and starred Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Glover, Lois Smith, and Marin Ireland. 0efd9a6b88
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