BURIED CHILD: Know-The-Show Guide
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The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey BURIED CHILD: Know-the-Show Guide Buried Child By Sam Shepard Directed by Paul Mullins Know-the-Show Audience Guide Researched and written by the Education Department of The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey Artwork by Scott McKowen. The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey BURIED CHILD: Know-the-Show Guide In This Guide – The Life of Sam Shepard ....................................................................................... 2 – Sam Shepard & Buried Child ................................................................................ 4 – Buried Child: A Synopsis ...................................................................................... 5 – Who’s Who in Buried Child ................................................................................. 6 – Quotable Shepard ................................................................................................ 7 – The Plays of Sam Shepard .................................................................................... 8 – Sam Shepard: Selected Filmography .................................................................... 8 – Explore Online: Links .......................................................................................... 9 – Commentary and Criticism ................................................................................ 10 – In This Production .............................................................................................. 11 – Sources and Further Reading ............................................................................. 12 1 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey BURIED CHILD: Know-the-Show Guide later say of the event, “I walked out of that house into the unknown, and The Life it scared the sh*t out of me, but the adventure of hitting life straight on was a thrill I’ll never forget.” He was quickly cast in a traveling acting troupe called The Bishop’s Company, and they performed in towns all over the country. When they reached Brooklyn, Sam got off the bus and Sam Shepard stayed. Times were tough, and Shepard notes that he even had to sell a pint of blood to be able to afford a cheeseburger. Eventually he made of Samuel Shepard connections and was working with other creative theater makers and Rogers was born in artists who had started Theatre Genesis in St. Mark’s Church. His first Chicago, Illinois on plays, Cowboys and The Rock Garden, were performed there in the fall November 5, 1943 of 1964. He began writing plays constantly; churning them out, one after to Jane and Sam the other. “He finished plays like others finished a grocery list,” said Joyce Rogers. His father Aaron, Shepard’s girlfriend at the time. was a World War II pilot, and his mother As his career began to flourish, he won three consecutive OBIE Awards Sam Shepard, New York, was a teacher. After (1966-68) for Distinguished Plays. In 1969, he married O-Lan Jones, photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, 2010. the war, the family an actress who he met at a residency in Pennsylvania. The couple was settled in California, where Jane had some family, and both parents quickly expecting, and they welcomed their first and only child Jesse took positions as high school teachers. Unfortunately, the image of the Mojo Shepard in May, 1970. happy family that was presented to the world was far from the reality at home. Sam Rogers was an alcoholic, and his son bore the brunt of his Less than a year later, alcoholic rages. In spite of this, young Sam did well at school; he was while playing a gig part of the drama club, basketball team, track team and led cheers at with The Holy Modal school games. After graduating high school in 1961, he went to Mount Rounders, Shepard San Antonio College, unsure whether to pursue veterinary studies or met Patti Smith, the something more creative. He found himself more and more drawn acclaimed icon of the to the drama department, and there he was introduced to the works NYC punk rock scene. of Samuel Beckett which would prove to be a major influence on his The connection was approach to language and writing. instantaneous, and, though still married, In early 1963, a violent altercation with his father drove Sam from the he moved into Patti’s family home. He packed everything into his car and left. He would room at the Hotel Sam Shepard and Patti Smith, The Chelsea Hotel, 1971. 2 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey BURIED CHILD: Know-the-Show Guide Chelsea. Their infamous affair inspired Patti’s music, but the wanderer It was at this point that in Shepard could not be quelled. In 1971, he broke up with her and Shepard’s work as a film actor moved to London with his young family where he met and worked began to take off. This did with Peter Brook, Stephen Rea and Nancy Meckler. These relationships not, however, stop him from shaped Shepard’s writing forever. He spoke about their influences writing. Shepard always carried after he directed his play Geography of a Horse Dreamer at the Royal a notebook and pen wherever Court Theatre: “It was a great experience, which changed the way I he went, allowing him to jot approached writing, because I started writing for the actors. I’d shape down thoughts, ideas, and things and move them around and realize what was possible or not small sketches. He would go on possible. You understand the rhythmic structures much better when to publish poetry and prose in Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange in a still from you work directly with actors. It’s like a piece of music, it shifts and addition to his plays. In 2012, Frances, 1982. changes.” he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin, the alma mater of Samuel Beckett, In 1974, the family left London and moved to California with whom he so admired. O-Lan’s mother and stepfather. It was here that Shepard established a relationship with The Magic Theatre in San Francisco where his Pulitzer Despite his many career successes, Shepard faced several personal Prize-winning play Buried Child would premiere in 1978. Prior to this demons and a serious alcohol problem. He was arrested for drunk success however, Joe Papp, founder of The Public Theatre in New York, driving in 2009 and then again in 2015. Shortly after his first drunk commissioned Shepard to write five new plays for his theatre; one of driving incident, Shepard and Lange split, and he established a new which became The Curse of the Starving Class (1978) and another True home in Kentucky. In the years that followed, Shepard was diagnosed West (1980). Shepard would never fulfill his promise to write five plays with ALS, though he never let that get in the way of anything he wanted for The Public, however, after casting disputes related to the transfer of to do. True West to The Public. On July 17, 2017, Sam Shepard passed away as a result of his One year later in 1981, Shepard met Jessica Lange. The two fell in love degenerative disease. He was surrounded by his family. His longtime while filming Frances (1982) and his play Fool for Love (1983) was born friend Patti Smith wrote about that evening, “The rain fell when he took out of their affair. In 1983, he left his family for Lange but carried the his last breath, quietly, just as he would have wished. Sam was a private guilt with him for the rest of his life. Less than a year later, however, his man. I know something of such men. You have to let them dictate how father was killed crossing a busy street while intoxicated in Santa Fe, things go, even to the end.” New Mexico. Even though he had not seen his father in several months, Sam’s last memory of him was a drunken man ranting and raving about his life. 3 The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey BURIED CHILD: Know-the-Show Guide dark haired man… having excelled as a student and athlete, he was Sam Shepard and admired by many.” Another uncle became involved with the mob in Chicago. Shepard conflates these two men to become one, as can be seen in Halie’s depictions of her dead son Ansel: “He was smart. The smartest probably. I think he probably was… It’s not fitting for Buried Child a man like that to die in a motel room… Ansel played basketball “Theater is a place to bring stuff from your life better than anyone… Of course, he’d still be alive today if he hadn’t experience. You bring it and you send this telegraph married into the Catholics. The Mob. How in the world he never and then you get out.” opened his eyes to that is beyond me.” – Sam Shepard In 1966, Shepard took a road trip to his home in Bradbury, The inspiration for Buried Child has its origins long before Sam California from New York with his then girlfriend Joyce Aaron. It Shepard was born, with his great-great-grandfather, a man by was this trip that inspired the Vince and Shelly story – a young man the name of Lemuel P. Dodge who ran a wheat farm in rural returning home for the first time in a few years with his girlfriend Illinois. This family farm was lost in the Great Depression who can’t wrap her mind around his home. by Shepard’s grandfather, whom he described in detail in an interview: “Sometimes he coughs so violently that his whole The first seeds of this play were planted when Shepard wrote The body doubles over, and he can’t catch his breath for a long time. Last American Gas Station in 1974 while on vacation in Nova His world is circumscribed around the sofa. Everything he needs Scotia. That play details the cross country travels of Halie, Dodge, is within a three-foot range.” One of those items within range and their son Eamon (who only has one leg). Dodge has a persistent would certainly have been alcohol. Shepard came from a long cough and claims that the government is trying to steal his land. line of male alcoholics, which included his father. As Shepard While this may not be exactly what would become Buried Child, remembers, when his father went to see Buried Child, “he was one sees several key elements take root: a family in crisis, a father rolling drunk and started talking to the characters and stood up with a persistent cough, and an injured son.