Curse of the Starving Class 1997

Ages: 13+
Opened: April 27, 1997

Curse of the Starving Class - 1997 - Off-Broadway History , Info & More

Signature Theatre
555 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10036

Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class is a darkly comic look into the world of dysfunctional Tate family, as they struggle amongst themselves for food, freedom, and meaning in their run-down lives. Tate Family patriarch Weston, is an alcoholic, who leaves his family for days at a time, buys into scam business deals, and owes money to all the wrong people in town. His wife, Ella, is utterly burned-out and will do just about anything to leave her husband behind. Their daughter, Emma, is a smart and rebellious teen, itching to get away from her crazy home. The entire upkeep of the farm falls on the shoulders of their idealistic son, Wesley, the only one who seems to have some hope for the family left. The “curse,” as Ella puts it, of the Tate family is that they have nitroglycerine — liquid dynamite — running in their blood. Perhaps that’s the reason they’re stuck where they are: broke, hungry, and fighting. Whatever the cause, the Tates will do just about anything to raise themselves out of the downward spiral into which they’ve fallen. But is it even possible, at this point? Or are some families, Shepherd asks, just cursed before they begin?

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Curse of the Starving Class FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What productions of Curse of the Starving Class have there been?
Curse of the Starving Class has had 4 productions including Off-Broadway which opened in 1978, Off-Broadway which opened in 1985, Off-Broadway which opened in 1997 and Off-Broadway which opened in 2019.

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