He tells her it was the night's sleep on the table that fixed everything. Ella returns with groceries and says she knows there is a curse working against family. 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. Him just sitting in the car. Authors Series, this book provides a concise introduction to Shepards life, short descriptions of almost all of his works up to States of Shock, and discussions of the themes and techniques that characterize Shepards work as a whole. Foot kicking. Wesley and Ella talk about Westons eagle story as the play ends. New York: St. Martins Press, 1986. The citation above will include either 2 or 3 dates. How old is Wesley in "Curse ofthe Starving Class"? 28 Feb. 2023 . Something indescribable. Who or what can fill these people up? 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. The play ends as Wesley, his back to his mother, concludes the story. Beaufort, John, Off-Broadway: Tale of a Blighted Family, in Christian Science Monitor, March 3, 1978. 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. Property he had there has proved worthless, so he decides to sell the familys home. Kissel, Howard, Review of Curse of the Starving Class, in Womens Wear Daily, March 3, 1978. 1. Then a long silence. Returning, Emma asks, What kind of a family is this?. 6162. Wood splitting. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. The play was initially produced in London at the Royal Court Theatre on April 21, 1977, directed by Nancy Meckler. However, many of the same issues (such as access to abortions and birth control, equal pay for equal work, and affirmative action) still remain to be resolved. Ella returns from jail, exhausted, to find Weston cooking breakfast for Wesley. Ella wakes up, and a huge explosion offstage follows upon this. His violent nature and utter lack of accountability are the crux of many of the family's issues. Realism, a style of drama that seeks to represent the world on the stage just as it is in real life, was out of favor in the 1960s, the decade in which Shepard began writing. [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 Michael Venzor was featured in a 2011 Equity Showcase of "Curse of the Starving Class" by Sam Shepard. Then WESLEY'S mother, ELLA, enters slowly from down left. Emma tells Taylor that her family has violent tendencies caused by some family members having nitroglycerin, which is a very explosive element, in their blood. 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. Or are some families, Shepherd asks, just cursed before they begin? Wesley enters and decides that Emma's project is pointless and that she ought to focus on more important things. Even the lamb suffers from an invasion of a harmful force in its body: maggots have infested its digestive tract. Gale Cengage He and Emerson represent the men that Weston owes money to, and have come to serve as a warning. Word Count: 713. Take a look at our library of free monologues . Vol. Emma and Wesley keep opening the fridge and looking for something thats not therea crystal ball filled with absence. This is Michael's monologue as Wesley Tate, the son of. 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. She then decides to steal her mother's car and take up a life of crime, claiming that it is the only way to make a real living in this world. He tells the children that he has found a buyer for the house, and Emma leaves abruptly. Ella tries to feign innocence and Emma storms out. Pushing the clothes to the floor, she falls asleep on the table. With James Woods, Kathy Bates, Randy Quaid, Henry Thomas. Taylor is in disbelief, and Ellis threatens him. 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. Slater also brings the dead lamb's carcass into the house. But is it even possible, at this point? Ellis says that Weston must have sent Emma down there and takes back his $1,500 and runs off to his club, swearing he will get revenge on Weston. weve done it again! Wesley, who has been listening to this story, then asks what happens next. Heart still pounding. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Home | The Curse Of The Starving Class Monologue (Wesley). Later, when Weston enters and finds only the lamb at home, he naturally begins a conversation. 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. Foot kicking door. Upgrade to PRO Sign Up for PRO to view suggested audition pieces! I picture him just sitting. Word Count: 958, Curse of the Starving Class begins with Wesley, in sweatshirt and jeans, tossing pieces of a door into a wheelbarrow. American Gothic: Sam Shepard's Family Trilogy.. Hes going to sleep there all night. Ella and Ellis argue, Ellis shows her the deed Weston gave him, and Taylor arrives to settle his deal with Ella. 1970s: Oil and gas shortages precipitate an energy crisis in the United States. 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. But treating Shepards stage paradigms superficially can lead to characterizations that miss the point of how his figures got to be heartbroken or angry in the first place. From a mile off I could tell it was the Packard by the sound of the valves. Dust laying on their wings. Emma walks out. During their argument, Wesley goes to Emma's posters and begins to urinate on them. Then I hear the door of the Packard open. Tense. Weston asks where Ella is, and then goes into a rage when Wesley and Emma tell him where she went. 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. They are realistic as stage properties, but the sheer quantity Weston brings home is obsessive, imparting a meaning beyond their food value. Even sleeping people I could feel. "Curse of the Starving Class - Historical Context" Drama for Students Important moments, themes, monologues:-gender roles-Emma's monologue about being a mechanic and swindling her mom out of money Taylor leaves, and Wesley yells at the policeman to arrest him for being a confidence man. She participates in 4-H, she is an excellent student, and she wants to make something of herself. Ellis enters, laughing at the passed-out Weston who is slumped on the kitchen table. In the end he was cheering for the eagle. 14. He tells Wesley to go clean up, and he'll make him a big breakfast. No sight. Weston, slightly drunk, is a big man; he wears baggy pants, tennis shoes, an overcoat, and a baseball cap. Then I heard the Packard coming up the hill. He compares it to a zombie invasion and takeover, where the zombies build their own city. He has brought a bag of artichokes that he bought while visiting his worthless desert property. California, especially southern California, is perhaps the best laboratory to examine this development. Soon, the music is interrupted by a great rumble, and the kitchen walls break in half. Wesley deduces that Taylor is the one who sold Weston worthless desert property in the first place. The last date is today's The curtain falls as Wesley and Weston discuss how to rid the lamb of the maggots that are infesting its digestive tract. The eagle carried the cat away, and they fought until both came crashing down. By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement. Gale Cengage Soft crying. 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. She is a small woman wearing a bathrobe and pink fuzzy slippers, and her hair is in rollers. 1998 eNotes.com Finding the chicken she butchered for her demonstration gone, she storms off. California suffers from rolling blackouts, and the major population centers of the East Coast are warned about similar blackouts or brownouts. Language. He pulls out the. DeRose, David J., Sam Shepard, Twayne, 1962. The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child. Gale Cengage Emma leaves; then Taylor and Ella leave for a business meeting. Wesley is left on stage, talking to the lamb, when Westons voice is heard outside. 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. Then I could picture my Dad driving it. . Afraid of sound. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Weston, sober, neatly dressed, folds laundry while talking to the lamb. 14. 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. Ella begins to yell at Weston for pulling a Jekyll and Hyde act by changing overnight. Wesley then tells Weston that Ella has also found a buyer for the house and Weston goes into a rage, and then collapses on a table and falls asleep. Whys he waiting to get out? Wesley takes the money, offering to deliver it to the people his father owes money to. Emma tells Ella of her dream of going to Mexico and becoming a mechanic. Emerson is a minor character who represents the men that Weston is in debt to. professional theatre, regional theatre, university / college theatre, community theatre, Ages 12-17: Camp Broadway Ensemble @ Carnegie Hall. publication online or last modification online. Word Count: 89. Curse of the Starving Class Wesley, in sweatshirt, jeans and cowboy boots picks up pieces of a broken door and throws them methodically into an old wheelbarrow. Weston, once a pilot, is now an alcoholic heavily in debt. Breakdown. Wesley then leaves and Ella begins to give a motherly talk on what happens during menstruation and what cannot be done during the cycle. Wesley exits at the sounds of his fathers approach. As Wesley and Ella argue, Ella speaks of the curse she sees operating on the family. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. He tells Weston that he butchered the lamb for food, but Weston yells at him and shows him the newly stocked refrigerator. Paper bag covering Tiger Rose. Feet coming. 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. Wesley protests feebly. Whenand where doesTheCurse of the Starving Class take place? Jump-start your essay with our outlining tool to make sure you have all the main points of your essay covered. eNotes.com, Inc. 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. Malcolm agrees to wait for Ella at the station. He pulls out the $1,500, telling them that is the amount that Weston owes to some pretty hard fellas. Weston then tells them that he has already found someone who will buy the land and pay in cash. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Ella warns Emma that swimming during her period could kill her. 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. She reassures the refrigerator that soon there will be little eggs, butter, and other foods tucked away inside of it. weve gone and left everything up to the old man again! Like any second something could invade me. Kaufmann, Stanley, What Price Freedom? in New Republic, April 8, 1978, pp. I was lying there on my back. Wesley and Emma then argue over who is going to go add water to the artichokes that are boiling on the stove. Weston considers fleeing to Mexico, and Wesley muses about finding Taylor to get the money for the desert land back. He tells Weston that he has butchered the lamb for food. New York, NY, Linda Ray If there are two dates, the date of publication and appearance Wesley re-enters and starts yelling to the offstage Emma about her chicken. 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. All rights reserved. These objects are indeed symbolic, but they are meant to hit the audience with their power. Since Ella is still under the impression that Wesley is Weston, Emerson and Slater also mistake Wesley for Weston. 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. 28 Feb. 2023 , Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. So many artichokes seem bizarre in a household where there is never enough to eat. Wesley tells him that he ran into a brick wall. Ink and Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus Play with History. An enormous explosion is heard. Hello, this is Emma's monologue from Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard. There are three acts. I could hear the coyotes. Whatever the cause, the Tates will do just about anything to raise themselves out of the downward spiral into which theyve fallen. Whole body crashing. Wesley asks her how she got out of jail and she tells him that she made sexual overtures at the guard. Wheels screaming. Allow Necessary Cookies & Continue 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. The agriculture drew refugees from the Dust Bowl states during the Great Depression, and poor people thronged to southern California. Peacocks. Man throwing up. Word Count: 494. . When he pushes the wheelbarrow off, Ella begins a conversation about menstruation that seems directed at another person, but no one is there. Weston enters, drunk, with a large bag of groceries. If there are three dates, the first date is the date of the original . Just from my dad coming back. When Wesley tells him that Ella is thinking of selling the house, Weston explodes and threatens to kill her and Taylor. Act-by-act or chapter-by-chapter summaries and reviews of the plays and books I am currently reading. Christian H. Moe. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. When Weston comes to, he starts up again where he left off, rejecting Wesleys suggestions that they plant avocados on their land. VerMeulen, Michael. Michael and me -- well, we're closer than most brothers and sisters. The play opens with Wesley putting pieces of a broken down door into a wheelbarrow. For instance, sprinkling sand on the stage to evoke Shepards edge-of-America Western localeshe grew up on an avocado farm in Duarte, California, near Route 66as is done in the current revival of his 1977 play Curse of the Starving Class (at the Signature, under the direction of Terry Kinney), does little to get at his genius, which was not about surfaces but about how peoples lives can be mangled by their belief in surfaces. Sam Shepard: A Casebook. While Ella takes steps to get away by trying to sell the old homestead, through a lawyer named Taylor (Andrew Rothenberg), Wesley cant imagine his life as anything other than what it is: he moves and speaks as if bewitched by the awfulness; his existence is a Daddy-dominated dream. Addressing the lamb, he sets a duffel and a grocery bag on the table. publication online or last modification online. Every resident of the Village Landais has dementiaand the autonomy to spend each day however they please. Emma explains that her father broke the door down the night before in a drunken rage. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Word Count: 958. Even tractors sitting in the wetness, waiting for the sun to come up. What Price Freedom? The New Republic 178 (April 8, 1978): 24-25. Randall argues here that, although Curse of the Starving Class is indeed a more realistic play than the works that preceded it, Shepard retains a use of language in this play that we do not ordinarily associate with realistic drama., "Curse of the Starving Class - Bibliography and Further Reading" Drama for Students 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. Curse of the Starving Class is a play by Sam Shepard, considered the first of a series on family tragedies. Also inevitable, and also treated as a curse, is Emmas menstruation (which is another image of the inside escaping to the outside). Gale Cengage I am aware that I have taken on characters that are outside of my RACE, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DIALECT, and AGE. Closely connected to the symbolic structure of the play is its use of motif, or a recurring image. 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