About the Show

A darkly comic look at a family’s fight for survival and the unraveling American dream.

With creditors looming and desperation rising, the Tates cling to their fading dreams while grappling with the harsh realities of poverty. This OBIE-winning play sharply critiques the American dream, peeling back the layers of family loyalty, individual ambition, and resilience. Shepard’s powerful storytelling brings both humor and heartbreak to this raw exploration of survival and self-destruction.

Critic Reviews (11)

"Sam Shepard’s classic tragicomedy comes off as disjointed and self-consciously stagy"
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"Sam Shepard drama cuts to the core of Americana"
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"the most distinctive performance in this Curse is all natural"
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"...this play might require meatier direction to keep the audience from leaving hungry."
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“…occasionally crackles into life, only to subside again into strangely calm waters.”
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Elliott has directed too realistically turning Curse into a sad melodrama minus the magic
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This is a “Curse of the Starving Class” that will be difficult to match in its perfection.
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Christian Slater, Calista Flockhart and a mesmerizing sheep appear in this rousing revival.
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Cast and creative team