The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Curse of the Starving Class begins with Wesley, in sweatshirt and jeans, tossing pieces of a door into a wheelbarrow. 353 subscribers Episode 10: Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class Sam Shepard wasn't just a playwright but an actor himself, fully into the arts. While Ella eats her breakfast, Wesley urinates on Emmas charts. (The set design is by Julian Crouch.) They wanted large houses, cars, two-car garages, front and back yards. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. My listening was afraid. Floating. Mans voice. *Our system only provides suggested monologues or songs for select characters if we have matching monologues and song information in our database. Ella then asks Emma what she is holding and Emma reminds her that these are her poster for the 4-H project on how to properly cut up a frying chicken that she has been working on quite some time. One foot right through the door. She then becomes angry with the refrigerator and slams it shut. Curse of the Starving Class Jan 26 2023 Tells the story of a dysfunctional family living in a farmhouse they are planning to sell in the hopes of moving on to bigger and better things. When Weston finally comes home, carrying a bag of artichokes that nobody really wants to eat, he discovers a live lamb that Wesley brought in because it has maggots. When Wesley tells him that Ella is thinking of selling the house, Weston explodes and threatens to kill her and Taylor. Today, Los Angeles is one of the largest urban conglomerations in the world. Its humiliating to have the cops come, he says, whining a little. However, the tom cat won't let go because if it does it will fall and die. Or are some families, Shepherd asks, just cursed before they begin? Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists, See more characters from Wesley tells her, when she asks if he is going to take over the role of Daddy Bear, that he feels himself becoming his father, that as he put on Westons clothes, he could feel something growing on him. Ella pushes all the laundry to the floor and lies on the table. publication in traditional print. 14. Even tractors sitting in the wetness, waiting for the sun to come up. She is just waking up and winds an alarm clock in her hand as she watches WESLEY sleepily. Wesley assures his father that the gang will get him, and Weston takes off for Mexico. Whole body crashing. Create and promote branded videos, host live events and webinars, and more. Mom screaming. Ellis enters, laughing at the passed-out Weston who is slumped on the kitchen table. Lyons, Charles R., Shepards Family Trilogy and the Conventions of Modern Realism, in Rereading Shepard, edited by Leonard Wilcox, St. Martins Press, 1993. Note: When citing an online source, it is important to include all necessary dates. This act opens with Weston, who is now clean, and sober. Randall, Phyllis R., Adapting to Reality: Language in Shepards Curse of the Starving Class, in Sam Shepard: A Casebook, edited by Kimball King, Garland, 1988. Finally, highway patrolman Malcolm appears with the news that Emma, having shot up the Alibi Club, is in jail. Weston explains his new outlook: He took a bath, walked around the place naked, cleaned everything, ate a good breakfast, and decided to fix things up. But is it even possible, at this point? Michael Venzor was featured in a 2011 Equity Showcase of "Curse of the Starving Class" by Sam Shepard. I could feel the presence of all the people outside, at night, in the dark. When she turns around she finds that there is a man standing in the room with her. He compares it to a zombie invasion and takeover, where the zombies build their own city. "Curse of the Starving Class - Bibliography" Great Characters in Literature We don't currently have any monologues from Curse of the Starving Class . . Can you send me character analysis of characters of Sam Shepard's play "Curse of the Starving Class"? Wesley begins a monologue narrating exactly what he saw and heard happen from the night before. date the date you are citing the material. Ed. At the same time, land speculators were buying the land of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, and Riverside counties and preparing it for residential development. New York: Performing Arts Journal, 1981. Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. He tells the children that he has found a buyer for the house, and Emma leaves abruptly. At times, Wesley loses patience with his family members, as evidenced by his lack of sympathy for his sister's ruined 4-H project, to which he responds by urinating on her charts and suggesting that his sister do something truly useful with her time. My Messerschmitt. Maggie Siff, as the wife of an abusive man, in Shepards story of a broken family. The three of them begin arguing about whether they are the starving class, while Wesley urinates on Emmas chart. [2] The screenplay was written by Bruce Beresford, who also served as an executive producer. Just from my dad coming back. Ella wants Wesley to go after Emma and persuade her not to take the horse, but he doesn't want to; he doesn't care if she leaves . 1 Mar. He tells Weston that he butchered the lamb for food, but Weston yells at him and shows him the newly stocked refrigerator. 2023 Cond Nast. Emma, by way of contrast, often shouts her lines from offstage. Vol. "Curse of the Starving Class - The Play" Survey of Dramatic Literature Word Count: 494. Weston, sober, neatly dressed, folds laundry while talking to the lamb. Download the entire Curse of the Starving Class study guide as a printable PDF! We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. When: what time period Where: city and state. I could smell the avocado blossoms. Important moments, themes, monologues:-gender roles-Emma's monologue about being a mechanic and swindling her mom out of money Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. Some population geographers see the U.S. cities of Los Angeles and San Diego and the Mexican city of Tijuana as one immense megalopolis, a mega-city with tens of millions of inhabitants. His mother, Ella (Maggie Siff), enters, wondering why her son is doing what hes doingcleaning up after the guy who broke the door down, otherwise known as Weston (David Warshofsky), Wesleys father and Ellas spouse. 14. Weston begins to tell Wesley about how he began to see the poison in his own father, and how Wesley can see it in him. online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Word Count: 302. Ella stares at the lamb. Researchers have studied how much of our personality is set from childhood, but what youre like isnt who you are. The Word Is My Shepard. In New American Dramatists, 1960-1980. Curse of the Starving Class "balances dark comedy and biting satire in its look at a family fighting to stay alive," according to the Long Wharf Theatre. Video . As the play opens, she and Wesley are both looking through the chunks of the broken door that her husband, Weston, broke in a fit of rage. eNotes.com Word Count: 89. These people are not meant to be accurate representations of real people, nor are we meant to believe that this family had a lamb, brought it inside, and then butchered it. Curse of the Starving Class: Directed by J. Michael McClary. Scouting me. He looks at his parents; they do not notice him, and he leaves with the lamb. Wesley realizes that it was Taylor who sold Weston the desert property just as Ellis arrives with fifteen hundred dollars for the house, the exact amount Weston owes to gangsters. Ever more land was needed, and the developers set their sights to the farmlands surrounding the city. An enormous explosion is heard. 1970s: Oil and gas shortages precipitate an energy crisis in the United States. Sara's optimism, cheerfulness, and. By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. The play presents a seemingly bizarre family and a series of events involving the sale of its home, but actually pointing to the disintegration of the family. In act 1, while Ella prepares her breakfast, Wesley has a long speech in which he recounts his sense of life while lying in bed, not simply on this night but also on many other nights. Weston tells Ella to let Emma go and then there is a bright flash and a loud explosion from outside. Vol. Sam Shepard. Westons only way of being a father is to exercise his paternal privileges, which, in Shepard-land, include wreaking havoc, fucking up your kids and your wife, and squandering the future; we learn by the second act that, in order to pay off loan sharks, Weston has already sold the property, to a bar owner named Ellis (Esau Pritchett, who has a lot of strength and appeal, though Kinney doesnt temper his performance, either). Conservatives, however, decry feminism, blaming it for rising divorce rates and what they see as a breakdown of the nuclear family. Weston looks around and moves to the refrigerator. Curse of the Starving Class is a 1994 American drama film directed by J. Michael McClary and starring James Woods, Kathy Bates, Randy Quaid, Henry Thomas and Louis Gossett Jr. [1] It is based on Sam Shepard 's 1977 play of the same name. Shifting unconsciously. Try it today! As the play opens, she and Wesley are both surveying the chunks of the door broken down by her husband . King, Kimball. . Two motifs, very near each other in meaning, recur throughout Curse of the Starving Class: images of inside/outside and images of disease and sickness. Woman screaming. eNotes.com The second date is today's He exits again and returns with a lamb, which he puts in the enclosure. The Curse of the Starving Class Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Slater also brings the dead lamb's carcass into the house. Then softly crying. Results may vary. . Gale Cengage The prospect of selling the land to real estate developers has a significance far greater than the loss of a mere house, but his family. She reassures the refrigerator that soon there will be little eggs, butter, and other foods tucked away inside of it. Wesley appears, bloodied, and tells Weston that he has tried to get the money back. Paper bag covering Tiger Rose. Feet coming. New York, NY, Linda Ray If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Eder, Richard, Theatre: The Starving Class, in New York Daily News, March 3, 1978, p. C4. Door slams. publication online or last modification online. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. How old is Wesley in "Curse ofthe Starving Class"? SymbolismCurse of the Starving Class uses symbolism a great deal, but Shepard uses it in a jarring way. Cobwebs moving with them. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. "Curse of the Starving Class - Dramatic Devices" Survey of Dramatic Literature Sam Shepard: A Casebook. . 14. Weston is a destructive and angry man . The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. Wesleys monologue is like the steady tapping of rain on a windowpane: melancholy and constant. Whys he waiting to get out? But Shepard retains the symbolic structure of his earlier plays. The production had original live rock, blues, jazz, punk, and Latin-style music, composed and arranged by Steve Bargonetti and Diane Gioia. When Wesley tells her that there will not be enough money from the house to move to Europe Ella gets angry that Wesley is ruining her dream. Dads voice. Word Count: 269. As Ella calls her name out in a dream, Emma quickly leaves. Kissel, Howard, Review of Curse of the Starving Class, in Womens Wear Daily, March 3, 1978. Man going insane. Wesley deduces that Taylor is the one who sold Weston worthless desert property in the first place. WESLEY I'm doing it. Emerson, a hit man, enters giggling, followed by his partner Slater, carrying the skinned lamb carcass. 1970s: With the first wave of feminism, women begin demanding equal treatment by the law and by their husbands. Alone, Ella stares at Weston asleep on the table; he sits up, they look at each other, she runs off, and he lurches toward the refrigerator, kicking artichokes out of his way. Ella enters, asks why the lamb is back in the kitchen, and tells Weston that she has been at the jail, visiting Emma. In addition, playwright Sam Shepard is himself an actor and can be seen in over a dozen wide-release films (many with his longtime partner Jessica Lange), including Country, Places in the Heart, and The Right Stuff. What does heartache for the wrong reason (is it ever the right reason?) Hes going to sleep there all night. He tells her that as he put them on he could feel his own essence slipping out of him, and his father's essence coming into him. I could feel myself in my bed in my room in this house in this town in this state in this country. They are realistic as stage properties, but the sheer quantity Weston brings home is obsessive, imparting a meaning beyond their food value. Wesley then leaves and Ella begins to give a motherly talk on what happens during menstruation and what cannot be done during the cycle. In the play, as in the real world, these families were often taken advantage of, selling their land for well below market rates and finding themselves with nowhere to go and little money to sustain them. They say that they blew up Westons car. Sam Shepard's coming of age drama about a dirt-poor 1950's-era farm family. Ella goes to the back part of the house and Emma goes to the refrigerator. Today: After riots, fires, a major earthquake, landslides, and flooding, Los Angeles continues to grow. Word Count: 1160. Later, she becomes so angry about Ellis buying their house, she rides the family horse into his bar and shoots the place full of holes. Clean laundry is stacked on the table; the room has been swept. Wesley then enters and sets up a small enclosure in the kitchen. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. These objects are indeed symbolic, but they are meant to hit the audience with their power. Packard disappearing. Me, the enemy. With James Woods, Kathy Bates, Randy Quaid, Henry Thomas. It is the next day. Our Essay Lab can help you tackle any essay assignment within seconds, whether youre studying Macbeth or the American Revolution. The drama is here to create an impact: whereas the realistic story of the family appeals to our minds and emotions, the symbols affect us on a subconscious level. Ella tries to take the money from Wesley, but he tells her there is not enough to go to Europe on. Like the stock gangsters whose entrance signals the end of the play, these symbols break down the illusion of reality. Keys turned off. I listened like an animal. Wesley refuses to stop Emma, and Ella begins to tell him about her plans to sell the house. Ella leaves with Taylor, telling Wesley to take the lamb with the maggots back outside. Ink and Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Play with History. Directed by Robin Lynn Smith, the cast featured Kathy Bates (Ella) and Bradley Whitford (Wesley). Emma explains that her father broke the door down the night before in a drunken rage. He then came inside and took a bath, made a big breakfast, drank some coffee, and did everyone's laundry. Laws against marital rape, for instance, gain ground in many states that had previously resisted them. Emma then yells down that she is going to take the horse and leave. Log in here. Foot kicking. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original Wesley exits at the sounds of his fathers approach. all the upkeep! Teeth covered with peanuts. [1] Others consider it part of a quintet that includes Fool for Love (1983) and A Lie of the Mind (1985). 1. Wheels screaming. Weston and Wesley discuss the poison that Weston feels has infected him all of his life. Already a member? She often changes topics when she feels it in her best interest and tries to ignore the things going on immediately around her. Head smashing. Weston tries to be civil to Ella, but she starts screaming at him. Word Count: 713. Wesley tells him that he ran into a brick wall. As she is falling asleep, and Weston is talking to her about the benefits of sleeping on the hard table, Wesley walks into the kitchen, naked, and takes the lamb outside. Sam Shepards Curse of the Starving Class is a darkly comic look into the world of dysfunctional Tate family, as they struggle amongst themselves for food, freedom, and meaning in their run-down lives. He enters, drunk, and begins yelling at his son, Wesley. Ella looks at the carcass, remembering Westons story of the eagle. She first tries to run away by taking the family horse, but it throws her off and drags her through the mud, so she comes back. He asks what happened to Wesley, who had clearly been beaten up. Who or what can fill these people up? Ignition grinding. He pulls out the $1,500, telling them that is the amount that Weston owes to some pretty hard fellas. Then I hear the door of the Packard open. View All Characters in Curse of the Starving Class, THIS FEATURE IS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PRO MEMBERS. Wesley says that Emma doesn't want to do it just because she is on the rag, so she throws down her markers and gets up to add the water. Ella tries to get Wesley to go down and stop Emma from taking the horse. The entire upkeep of the farm falls on the shoulders of their idealistic son, Wesley, the only one who seems to have some hope for the family left. Wesley then explains to Emma that it is not typical homebuyers who are going to purchase the house, but that it is land developers. Tense. [3] The play was commissioned by Joseph Papp.[4]. They finish the story, saying that a tom cat had come to sniff around in the testes and the eagle picked it up. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. The playwright Sam Shepards matter-of-fact observations about where his characters stand in the world tell us so much about the world they inhabit. After the walls split, we see a young man, Wesley (Gilles Geary), picking up whats left of the kitchen door. Breakdown. Ella talks about menstruation as Emma, who is having her first period, enters. "Curse of the Starving Class - Literary Style" Drama for Students Act 2 begins with the sounds of hammering. [7], Curse of the Starving Class won the 197677 Obie Award for Best New American Play.[8]. Cohn, Ruby. Ella enters and she and Weston discuss Emma's shooting up of the club. They tell him that they have blown up the car with Emma in it. Emma decides that Ella boiled her chicken and storms out. Taylor is in disbelief, and Ellis threatens him. He declares to them that he is a whole new person, and Wesley, finally stopped eating, tells Weston that the men who are after him are going to kill him. Bulls. Upgrade to PRO Having the set self-destruct is meant to indicate, of course, that trouble is on the way, but why make such an overdetermined move when Shepard clearly reveals, in the ensuing dialogue and action, how troubling the story were entering is? If Noel Cowards character were chic and elegant then Sams were real rootless and raw and I like it! SHARE. SUZIE. . Wesley still refuses to go after his sister, and Ella tells him that she is planning to use the money from the house to go to Europe and that he and Emma can come if they want. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Ella, his mother, enters and they begin to discuss the events of the night before that lead to Wesley's father, Weston, breaking down the door. The refrigerator is the focal point of the action; each member of the family is obsessed with its emptiness. Emerson and Slater enter, laughing and holding the bloody carcass of the lamb. Curse of the Starving Class premiered Off-Broadway at the New York Shakespeare Festival, on March 2, 1978, presented by Joseph Papp. Vol. He tells the lamb a story about an eagle who was diving very close down to the ground trying to steal the testes of the lambs he was castrating. Today: Feminism is in its third wave. As many of the issues feminists initially fought for have become law, feminist groups turn their sights on other issues. I could feel the headlights closing in. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Throwing the artichokes out, she fills the refrigerator. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Inviting Wesley to have some breakfast, he tells him (as Wesley walks off) that he is reconsidering the idea of planting avocados. 28 Feb. 2023 . Planes still hanging. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. When Emma enters, she joins in that conversation, and Shepard creates the sense that this conversation has been going on for some time. *Our system only provides suggested monologues or songs for select characters if we have matching monologues and song information in our database. Having escaped jail by having sex with Officer Malcolm, Emma has decided to become a criminal. However, we have dozens of other monologues that you can read. Back down driveway. (As he throws wood into wheelbarrow.) eNotes.com Wheels screaming off down hill. Weston tries to explain the poison to Wesley by comparing it to the way to you poison a coyote by putting strychnine in the belly of a dead lamb. So many artichokes seem bizarre in a household where there is never enough to eat. Ellis enters, laughing at the passed-out Weston who is slumped on the kitchen table. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Caught up in this are families such as the one in Curse of the Starving Class, whose land is coveted by subdivision developers like Taylor. Emma Tate is the daughter of Ella and Weston Tate. VerMeulen, Michael. Tate Family patriarch Weston, is an alcoholic, who leaves his family for days at a time, buys into scam business deals, and owes money to all the wrong people in town. There are three acts. Then I heard him pull the brake. Wesley returns as Weston fills the refrigerator with artichokes he bought in the desert. Hes plastered and cant move. Act-by-act or chapter-by-chapter summaries and reviews of the plays and books I am currently reading. [5] The cast was as follows: Wesley - Ebbe Roe Smith Ella - Olympia Dukakis Emma - Pamela Reed Taylor - Kenneth Welsh Weston - James Gammon Ellis - Eddie Jones Malcolm - John Aquino Today: The U.S. again faces an energy crisis, but this time the shortages and exorbitant prices affect electricity. He is easily taken advantage of and when his debts are not paid, it takes an even more terrifying toll on the people close to him. Ella has called the police because Weston threatened to kill her, but she doesnt leave right away; Wesley is upset that his mother has summoned outside forces to their home. Then I heard the Packard coming up the hill. Instead, it chooses to bring the eagle down, even if it means certain doom for the cat as well. Michael and me -- well, we're closer than most brothers and sisters. Freezing headache. Even sleeping people I could feel. As she leaves, Ella wakes up, mistakes Wesley for Weston, and tells him to go after Emma because she's too young to leave on her own. Malcolm enters and informs the family that Emma has been arrested for riding her horse through the Alibi Club and shooting up the bar.