Curse of the Starving Class

Sam Shepard's 1977 Curse of the Starving Class is easily as strange as its setting. The set suggests quiet desperation; a sorta kitchen with a strange but near-empty fridge, a stove that barely works, a dining table that is used for many things, rarely dining, and a broken front door. One wall is red painted wood, another galvanized metal sheets reminiscent of roofs on dirt farms of yore, and more. This is the environment of mother Ella (Dana Case), Son Wesley (Joshua Everett Johnson), and daughter Emma (Rachael VanWormer) and it barely prepares you for a look into their lives.

The evening before the play begins, father Weston (Bill Dunnam) came home drunk, smashed the front door down, had a row with Ella, and left. This small farm is about to be gobbled up by a buyer. Will it be the devious Taylor (Jack Missett) or the local bar owner, Ellis (Tom Reusing)?

The story opens with Wesley picking up the pieces of his father's latest rampage and Ella, looking bedraggled after a near-sleepless night. Daughter Emma's tragedy of the day is that a chicken that she had killed and dressed for a science project is missing from the fridge. All deny complicity in the matter. Her mother had cooked and eaten it earlier. Then her brother urinates on the descriptive posters of her project. This is our introduction to the family. Their plight, both self-inflicted and brought in from outside, is the "Curse of the Starving Class."

Shepard's play is more about people than plot: mom and the kids, mom and dad, siblings, and outsiders. And in Cygnet and New Village Arts' production, it is about quality acting. Case's transformation from bitter housewife to sparkling lady of the house being shmoozed by Missett's con artist is startling. Johnson believably portrays a very convoluted young man living in constant fear of his father. VanWormer's Emma is a 13 year old with problems far beyond just her mother and brother. The patriarch, Weston, enters with a vicious hangover and a terrible attitude, dressed in clothes that have been lived in for at least a week. There are absolutely no redeeming qualities in Dunnam's characterization. This bear of a man is threatening, irrational, unintelligent and out of control. Later we see another side of the character. Dunnam gives an excellent performance.

Missett's Taylor also is a duplicitous character, who represents a threat to this poor, uncultured family. Tom Reusing's bar owner, Ellis, is a bully. John Garcia plays a police officer, delightfully officiously. Both he and Reusing come back as a couple of really nasty goons attempting to induce Weston to pay his debts. Both handle their dual roles nicely.

The technical elements are well-executed. Sean Murray's set is suggestive more than well-defined. M. Scott Grabau's selection of music and subtle sound effects complements the show. Mary Larson's costumes are right on the mark. Eric Lotze's lighting is moody and quite theatrical rather than reality-based. Bonnie Durben's props added much character to the environment. The total effect is surrealistic, a representation of reality that works better than total realism might.

Curse of the Starving Class is a study of the underbelly of our civilization, a look at the folks that are left at the wayside, forgotten and destitute, or close to it. This cast has taken Shepard's words and given them life. Kudos to director Francis Gercke. While the drama is thick, the dark humor balances many of the scenes quite nicely. Another play that should be on your must-see list.