A Kitchen as a Battleground

The Pershing Square Signature Center transforms into the setting for a raw and unflinching portrayal of the Tate family in The New group’s production of Curse of the Starving Class. Sam Shepard’s 1977 three-act play, an OBIE Award winner, finds new life under the direction of Scott Elliott, the Founding Artistic director of The New Group. The play is set in the dilapidated farmhouse kitchen of the Tate family in rural California. The stage vividly depicts their reality: an empty refrigerator, a broken door and window, and trash both inside and outside the house.

This revival, more then two decades after its last NYC production at the Signature Center, emphasizes the darker aspects of Shepard’s work. The play unflinchingly examines socio-economic strife, familial dysfunction, and the stagnation of life on the fringes of society. It offers pointed commentary on class divisions and the perceived failure of the American dream.

Dreams Deferred and Destructive Impulses

Each member of the Tate family harbors a dream of escaping their bleak circumstances, but their conflicting visions and constant infighting only deepen their misery. ella, the mother, played by calista Flockhart, yearns to sell the house and begin anew in Europe. Emma, the daughter (Stella Marcus), envisions a life of independence in Mexico as a professional mechanic. Wesley,portrayed by Cooper Hoffman,the son who tends the farm,dreams of transforming the property into a profitable venture.

However, their father, Weston, played by Christian Slater, a neglectful alcoholic drowning in debt, has secretly signed an agreement to sell the house for far less than its worth. This act of betrayal sets off a chain of events that spirals out of control when Ellis, the new owner, arrives with the contract and cash.

Shepard’s Signature Style: Poetry and Pathos

Sam Shepard’s distinctive style blends poetic monologues with stark depictions of anger, recklessness, and self-sabotage. The play, partly inspired by Shepard’s own troubled childhood, uses metaphor to explore the family’s disintegration.

the production doesn’t shy away from the outrageous behaviour of the characters. Wesley urinates on his sister’s 4H project, Weston collapses drunk on the kitchen table amidst piles of laundry, and Ella hurls artichokes across the room. Emma, desperate to escape, attempts to flee, frist on horseback and then with her mother’s car keys, seeking a life, though misguided, of crime.

while the actions are frequently absurd, Elliott and his cast inject a sense of tragedy and pathos into these moments, highlighting the desperation underlying their behavior.

Humor Amidst the Heartbreak

Despite the heavy themes, Curse of the Starving Class contains moments of dark humor. ella, initially seen disheveled in a bathrobe and curlers, offers awkward advice to her daughter about menstruation. The recurring image of the family opening and slamming the empty refrigerator underscores their hunger and frustration. Ella’s attempts to charm Taylor, a lawyer/developer played by Kyle Beltran, are both hopeful and ultimately heartbreaking when his past connection to Weston surfaces.

Jeb Kreager delivers a standout performance in the dual roles of Ellis, the bullying new owner, and Emerson, who brings the story to its explosive conclusion. David Anzuelo plays Sergeant Malcolm, a local police officer who informs the Tates of Emma’s arrest for shooting up the Alibi club, owned by Ellis, but refuses to take action against Taylor and Ellis for their exploitation of the family.

A Sheep Steals the Show

Adding an unexpected layer to the production is Lois, a sheep from Vidbel Animal actors, who becomes an integral part of the family’s dynamic. Wesley and Weston bring the maggot-infested sheep into the kitchen, where Weston talks to, pets, and cuddles her. The sheep interacts with the actors and even makes eye contact with the audience, drawing reactions of both amusement and sympathy. The sheep serves as a symbol of the family’s decay and ill-fated existence, mirroring the didactic story Weston tells her of a doomed eagle and cat.

Visual and Technical Elements

Arnulfo Maldonado’s set design, with props by Jackson Berkley, effectively captures the rundown state of the tate’s kitchen and surrounding property. Catherine Zuber’s costumes reflect the characters’ status and transformations. Jeff croiter’s lighting design, with its use of spotlights, adds a surreal quality to the characters’ introspective moments. Leah Gelpe’s sound design accentuates the explosive climax of the story, while Sean F. Griffin’s fight direction amplifies the characters’ constant conflict.

A Tragic Reflection of American Life

The New Group’s production of Curse of the Starving Class is a tragic exploration of a family failed by society and by themselves. The play, running approximately two hours and 45 minutes with an intermission, offers a powerful and disturbing reflection on the darker aspects of the American dream.

While The New Group’s production of Curse of the Starving Class has its moments of the darkest kind of humor, it is in essence a tragic look at a desperate nuclear family that is failed by society and, above all, has failed themselves and each other, as with the innocent sheep.