Curse of the Starving Class

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Curse of the Starving Class is a play by Sam Shepard which, along with Buried Child, A Lie of the Mind and True West, comprises the playwright's family tragedies.

First performed on March 2, 1978 by the New York Shakespeare Festival, the production was directed by Robert Woodruff and presented by Joseph Papp. It featured Olympia Dukakis in the role of Ella, Ebbe Roe Smith as Wesley, Pamela Reed as Emma and James Gammon as Weston.

Curse of the Starving Class is a darkly comic exploration of the American family psyche. The play focuses on the dysfunctional Tate clan -- the drunken dreamer of a father, burned-out mother, rebellious teenage daughter, and idealistic son -- as they struggle for control of the rundown family farm in a futile search for freedom, security, and ultimately meaning in their lives