The Curse of the Starving Class
T0268437022
On a run-down Californian farmstead, at the edge of the desert and within migrating distance of the Mexican border, an alcoholic husband and a philandering wife are each scheming to sell off their family home without the other's knowledge, whilst their children struggle to come to terms with the harsh reality of the world they've been born into. Debt, stolen dreams and a fear of the future fuel the family's self-destructive behaviours, as they sacrifice their meagre values, and each other, to attain something of the better life they envision for themselves. Behind Shepard's exploration of the corrupting power of money and the all-consuming lure of corporation is a wickedly funny portrait of a family in decline, unsure whether to reject or embrace the label of America's 'starving class' whilst teetering on the edge of poverty, sanity and society itself.
Archive :: production:T0268437022, play:S01927912491, venue:V604
