Advertising in newspapers around the country, they encouraged people to come to Sunny California! to retire or simply to flee the frigid northern climates or unhealthy cities of the East. Returning, Emma asks, What kind of a family is this?. American Dreams: The Imagination of Sam Shepard. As the play opens, she and Wesley are both surveying the chunks of the door broken down by her husband . In an eerie way he is speaking neither to his mother nor directly to the audience; instead, the audience is allowed to hear his thought processes. Emma returns, still furious, and the three begin an argument about the starving class and whether or not they are part of it. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. Kauffmann, Stanley. Ellis grabs the money back from Wesley (feeling that now he is owed for the damage to his bar), and the act closes as Ella agrees to come to the police station to pick up Emma. Then I could picture my dad driving it. Wesley begins a monologue narrating exactly what he saw and heard happen from the night before. He tells Weston that he butchered the lamb for food, but Weston yells at him and shows him the newly stocked refrigerator. The central city suffers while middle-class people flee to suburbs that sprawl ever farther into what was once farmland. The speculators and developers then began building subdivisions in the areas immediately surrounding the city. Seeking 2 Actor Team for Spring Ella. Researchers have studied how much of our personality is set from childhood, but what youre like isnt who you are. Later, when Weston enters and finds only the lamb at home, he naturally begins a conversation. Ella goes downtown to get Emma out of jail. He compares it to a zombie invasion and takeover, where the zombies build their own city. The Curse Of The Starving Class - Monologue (Wesley) A monologue from the play by Sam Shepard Wesley is cleaning up shards of wood from the door his father broke down the night before during a drunken outburst. Even sleeping people I could feel. He is the one who actually put the bomb in the car that kills Emma. He looks at his parents; they do not notice him, and he leaves with the lamb. Wesley assures his father that the gang will get him, and Weston takes off for Mexico. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. View All Characters in Curse of the Starving Class, Curse of the Starving Class guide sections. A 1994 film adaptation of the same name stars James Woods (Weston), Kathy Bates (Ella), Henry Thomas (Wesley), Randy Quaid (Taylor), and Jim Fitzpatrick (Emerson). The film was written by Bruce Beresford and directed by J. Michael McClary. While Ella eats her breakfast, Wesley urinates on Emmas charts. President George W. Bush proposes an energy policy that stresses greater production, but many citizens mistrust this policy because of Bushs and Vice-President Dick Cheneys ties to oil companies and the energy industry. 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. In the fridge, she finds some bacon and bread and, as she fries up the last of the familys meat, Wesley thinks about himself and his father and recalls a memory: I was lying there on my back. sound like? The play was initially produced in London at the Royal Court Theatre on April 21, 1977, directed by Nancy Meckler. His partner, Slater, enters after him, playing with the skinned lamb carcass. Kissel, Howard, Review of Curse of the Starving Class, in Womens Wear Daily, March 3, 1978. Wesley Tate is the son of the family. Can you send me character analysis of characters of Sam Shepard's play "Curse of the Starving Class"? Malcolm enters and informs the family that Emma has been arrested for riding her horse through the Alibi Club and shooting up the bar. . Then I hear the door of the Packard open. 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. Sources eNotes.com Watt, Douglas, In the End, Emptiness, in New York Daily News, March 3, 1978. Like any second something could invade me. Cohn, Ruby. He tells her to take a nap on the table because itll do wonders for her. The use of the artichokes in Curse of the Starving Class suggests both the realistic and mythic aspects of Shepards dramatic strategy. The act ends with Weston (finally) waking up with a start, and Ella running out of the house. Then, looking in that bloody fridge, he, like his children, finds nothing: zero! Lights go off. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The man tells her that he was going to knock but that there was no door. He begins eating everything in the refrigerator. Makes me feel like were someone else. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Tense. Wilmeth, Don B. and Miller, Tice L. "The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre", Cambridge University Press, 1996, Yale Rep Starts Shepard's 'Curse Of The Starving Class' Feb. 3 in New Haven", "Long Wharf Theatre stages 'Curse of the Starving Class' February 13 through March 10", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Curse_of_the_Starving_Class&oldid=1020900821, This page was last edited on 1 May 2021, at 18:23. New York, NY, Linda Ray Something indescribable. As Wesley and Ella argue, Ella speaks of the curse she sees operating on the family. Vol. He tells Weston that he has butchered the lamb for food. Act Two opens with siblings Emma and Wesley hard at work on tasks that are interestingly, stereotypically gender appropriate: Emma is recreating her charts on how to properly cut a frying chicken (since her brother pissed on them in the last act), and Wesley is rebuilding the door that his father broke down. Gale Cengage I could see the trees being lit one after the other by the lights, then going back to black. 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. Gale Cengage Try it today! Wesley then explains to Emma that it is not typical homebuyers who are going to purchase the house, but that it is land developers. 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. Soon, the music is interrupted by a great rumble, and the kitchen walls break in half. Can you send me character analysis of characters of Sam Shepard's play "Curse of the Starving Class"? Ella and Wesley react differently to Westons abuse. 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. 2023 . In the end he was cheering for the eagle. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. 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. Ella is the mother of the family in Curse of the Starving Class. Vol. This play cannot be decoded as an allegory in which we can reduce the refrigerator to a representation of spiritual hunger, the lamb to a representation of sacrifice and innocence, and the door to a representation of the barrier between the family and the outside world. California, especially southern California, is perhaps the best laboratory to examine this development. As Wesley and Ella argue, Ella speaks of the curse she sees operating on the family. 28 Feb. 2023 . Bulls. Gain full access to show guides, character breakdowns, auditions, monologues and more! Weston in new clean clothes and the lamb in its enclosure are on stage, and Weston is telling the lamb his story about castrating lambs and throwing their testes onto a roof for an eagle to eat. Acts 1 and 2 both begin with characters engaged in simple question-and-answer conversations which serve to provide expository information necessary to an understanding of what has occurred before the start of the play or between the acts. I could feel this country close like it was part of my bones. In a 1997 Paris Review interview, Shepard, whose own father was an alcoholic, made a powerful point about the men he grew up around. all the upkeep! goose eggs! Since Ella is still under the impression that Wesley is Weston, Emerson and Slater also mistake Wesley for Weston. Gale Cengage online is the same, and will be the first date in the citation. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. 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. When Kinneys staging of Curse begins, we hear snatches of rock and roll as the lights come up on a large, dirty kitchen whose door to the outside world has been busted in. DeRose, David J. Sam Shepard. Ella sits up and screams, and Emma departs. Even tractors sitting in the wetness, waiting for the sun to come up. Then I heard him pull the brake. Perhaps thats the reason theyre stuck where they are: broke, hungry, and fighting. Woman screaming. Wesley refuses to stop Emma, and Ella begins to tell him about her plans to sell the house. They swipe at each other viciously over their conflicting hopes and dreams until they rip each other to shreds. Scouting me. Research Playwrights, Librettists, Composers and Lyricists. The play ends with Ella and Wesley staring at the lamb carcass. California suffers from rolling blackouts, and the major population centers of the East Coast are warned about similar blackouts or brownouts. Ella is on stage alone for the beginning of the talk, but her daughter, Emma, walks on stage mid-talk and joins the conversation as though she has been there all along. 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. Wesley protests feebly. New York: Twayne, 1992. Teeth covered with peanuts. If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Wesley enters and decides that Emma's project is pointless and that she ought to focus on more important things. Just from my dad coming back. Emma yells at Ella and exits. Dogs barking down the road. Freezing headache. 2003 eNotes.com "Curse of the Starving Class - Media Adaptations" Drama for Students New York, NY, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent 2020. Michael Venzor was featured in a 2011 Equity Showcase of "Curse of the Starving Class" by Sam Shepard. Weston becomes grumpy and refuses to tell the rest of the story. This act opens with Weston, who is now clean, and sober. Wesley then leaves and Emma returns, covered in mud after being thrown from the horse and dragged through the mud. Sound disappearing. Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. Man throwing wood. Breakdown. After the walls split, we see a young man, Wesley (Gilles Geary), picking up whats left of the kitchen door. Word Count: 509. Wesley appears, bloodied, and tells Weston that he has tried to get the money back. "Curse of the Starving Class - Summary" Drama for Students weve gone and left everything up to the old man again! Paper bag covering Tiger Rose. Feet coming. New landPlymouth Rock, California, Alaska, or anywhere in betweenis settled and cleared for farming or industry by rugged individualist pioneers; more people move near that newly desirable land, and towns spring up; the towns grow so big and encroaching that the rugged individualists feel crowded by city life (or are unable, economically, to survive) and move on to find new frontiers. Upgrade to PRO Sign Up for PRO to view suggested audition pieces! Marranca, Bonnie, ed. His symbolsthe lamb, the broken door, the refrigerator, the old carjump out at the viewer and almost announce I am a symbol! But Shepard uses them less as true symbols than as evocative images. Feet walking toward the door. Taylor appears and tells Ella that he has the final draft of the deed of sale. Ella tries to get Wesley to go down and stop Emma from taking the horse. Ad Choices. Feet and hands tearing. Log in here. Taylor says that any deal Weston makes is void because he is considered incompetent by the state. Mom calling cops. She wants to know what he wants her mother for and he tells her that he is in the real-estate business and is helping her mother sell the house. 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. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. He picks up the lamb and carries it off. Disclaimer: Some of the articles on Mighty Actor include affiliate links to sites like Amazon, Skillshare, and others. Ella enters, asks why the lamb is back in the kitchen, and tells Weston that she has been at the jail, visiting Emma. Weston yells at him, telling him that they didn't need the food, because the refrigerator is full for once. Peacocks. Whenand where doesTheCurse of the Starving Class take place? [2] The screenplay was written by Bruce Beresford, who also served as an executive producer. The second is the date of Create and promote branded videos, host live events and webinars, and more. My heart was pounding. 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. Video . The play opens on an image of the breakdown of the barrier between outside and inside, the shattered front door that allows all sorts of undesirable elements to enter the house. [1] Others consider it part of a quintet that includes Fool for Love (1983) and A Lie of the Mind (1985). Ink and Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Play with History. Sam Shepard: A Casebook. The Castmates Who Make You Care in Beetlejuice and Tootsie. Weston enters, drunk, with a large bag of groceries. Ella re-enters with groceries and throws the artichokes on the floor. Act 2 begins with the sounds of hammering. Dust laying on their wings. The last date is today's We only provide suggested audition monologues or songs for an individual character if our system finds content that matches a character's traits. The Tates live on a farm where they formerly raised sheep and grew avocados. Wesley deduces that Taylor is the one who sold Weston worthless desert property in the first place. Ellis represents the greed and controlling nature of business owners and the tendency of these people to take unfair advantage of each other and people below them. "Curse of the Starving . Emma is with him, and the two of them discuss the potential sale of the house and Ellas relationship with Taylor. However, the tom cat won't let go because if it does it will fall and die. 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. The eagle carried the cat away, and they fought until both came crashing down. 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. Sara's optimism, cheerfulness, and. . Wesley and Emma then argue over who is going to go add water to the artichokes that are boiling on the stove. Ignition grinding. nada! We dont see Weston for a while, but hes everywhere in this run-down home, or everywhere that violence and destruction have taken place, including in his sons and his wifes consciousness. Taylor departs surreptitiously; Ellis grabs his money from Wesley and rushes off, with Wesley in pursuit. "A Little Princess" "I love this monologue because of its sincerity. Shifting unconsciously. Ella and Ellis argue, Ellis shows her the deed Weston gave him, and Taylor arrives to settle his deal with Ella. Act two opens on Wesley and Emma in the kitchen, where Wesley is building a new front door for the house. We are all a version of someone elses story. Door slams. They have blown up Westons car, unaware that Emma was inside. Ella warns Emma that swimming during her period could kill her. As a country whose greatest natural resource has always been its seemingly endless supply of land and space, the United States settlement and development has generally followed the same pattern. Hello, this is Emma's monologue from Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard. 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. Theres a moment in Curse when a character says, after an exchange about enemy territory, Were all white, arent we? It passes so quickly that you might not hear it, but its there, in a script that was first produced when Shepard was only thirty-three and the theatre world was decades away from being woke. Thats what I treasure about Shepard: his matter-of-fact observations about where his characters stand in the worldobservations that also tell us so much about the world they inhabit. She has just started her first period, and has several mood swings during the play. Then I heard the Packard coming up the hill. Ella leaves with Taylor, telling Wesley to take the lamb with the maggots back outside. A. J. Sobczak and Frank N. Magill. As the play continues we constantly see this theme emphasized: conversations in the kitchen are conducted in a normal tone of voice, but conversations between one person in the kitchen and another person outside the room are almost always furious screaming matches; the refrigerators constant opening and shutting reminds us that inside is an empty place; even the lamb, when brought onstage by Wesley, is placed into a small penned enclosure. Lights, then going back to black End he was going to go down and stop Emma, and leaves. 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