Sam Shepard, a playwright who explored the dark side of the American West in such brutal, elliptical works as “Buried Child” and “True West,” died last Thursday at the age of 73. The marquees of Broadway theaters in New York will be dimmed in his memory on Wednesday, August 2nd, at exactly 7:45pm for one minute.
Shepard was also a reluctant movie star, performing in more than 50 films, including his Oscar-nominated role in “The Right Stuff,” and more than a dozen roles on television.
Having grown up on an avocado farm in California, Shepard moved to New York in 1962, having discovered jazz and the plays of Samuel Beckett. He began his playwriting career at age 21 Off-Off Broadway in 1965. He was not just a rock n roll playwright. He was a rock n roller, writing songs with Bob Dylan, and playing drums with a group called the Holy Modal Rounders. Shepard went on to write more than 50 plays, the last, A Particle of Dread (Oedipus Variations), produced at the Signature in 2014.
“There are these territories inside all of us, like a child or a father or the whole man, and that’s what interests me more than anything: where those territories lie.”
“I’m not doing this in order to vent demons. I want to shake hands with them.”
“I’m a great believer in chaos. I don’t believe that you start with a formula and then you fulfill the formula. Chaos is a much better instigator, because we live in chaos – we don’t live in a rigorous form.”
Remembering Sam Shepard, PBS Newshour
An appreciation by Magic Theater founder John Lion in 1984: “Rock ’n’ Roll Jesus With a Cowboy Mouth. Sam Shepard, like Elvis, has found an infectious groove in the cracks of American mythology”
Week in NY Theater Reviews
To The End of the Land Review: An Israeli Love Triangle Defined By War
NYMF Review: The Goree All Girl String Band. Prisoners Fiddling Their Way to Freedom.
NYMF Review: A Wall Apart. Love and Rock N Roll vs. The Berlin Wall.
Bubbly Black Girl, Oak vs. Mandy, and the Continuing Relevance of Race on Broadway (and the World)
Midsummer Night’s Dream Review: Public Theater Upstaged and Upstaging J
Week in NY Theater News
Cast for @MeanGirlsBway (which begins Oct 31 in DC): @ELHenningsen, @taylizlou, @ashleyparklady, @KateRockwellNYCpic.twitter.com/Z05FaIBDMW
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 27, 2017
Soho Rep will return to its longtime home with a new season that includes new works from Aleshea Harris and Jackie Sibblies Drury.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s month long #Ham4all fundraising challenge to raise money for the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition, has concluded.
Our cast has accepted @Lin_Manuel‘s #Ham4All Challenge with their rendition of “Me & The Sky-ler Sisters!” Join us: https://t.co/2LrHyVAlXT pic.twitter.com/8ba40dQmwu
— Come From Away (@wecomefromaway) June 26, 2017
James Iglehart
It’s on you @TaranKillam & @jordan_fisher to donate & sing your favorite song from Hamilton. @nikkywalks & @jevonmcferrin #Ham4All pic.twitter.com/UnQan8MESr
— james m. iglehart (@jamesmiglehart) June 26, 2017
Josh Groban
Many challenges accepted! @Lin_Manuel requested Burn! I challenge @thatgracemclean & @brittainashford! #HamForAll https://t.co/3Po3AYhmrS pic.twitter.com/sU1VhtVaiH
— josh groban (@joshgroban) June 29, 2017
Phillipa Soo
Thanks for the nomination @StevePasquale ! I nominate @kelliohara and @jessetyler for the #Ham4All challenge! https://t.co/xcvkN2exUH pic.twitter.com/ftYATP3drX
— Phillipa Soo (@Phillipasoo) June 30, 2017
Bobby Cannavale (and his baby peeing in the tub)
Aight @JoeLoTruglio I accept! #Ham4AllChallenge @Lin_Manuel #immigrantswegetthejobdone and I nominate @StevePasquale and @thereverendJ pic.twitter.com/VFV2eTrWD8
— bobby cannavale (@bobbycannavale) June 29, 2017
Alex Lacamoire (and familiar guest)
#Ham4All Y’all!
I donated at https://t.co/u5v81U1YIL and I challenge @MrJasonRBrown and @pasekandpaul! pic.twitter.com/4yOM6xcsZU— Alex Lacamoire (@LacketyLac) July 16, 2017
Enjoy. Want to see @IndecentBway too? Check out discount codes here https://t.co/7kPwBGhqXWhttps://t.co/8sZwtK56Lp
— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) July 27, 2017
I just really love theater.
I love it the way most people love sports or food.
I love everything about it. I love reading it.
I love seeing it even when it’s bad.
I love teaching it. I especially like making it.,,,
I’m not sure it loves me back.
– Jessica R. Williams as a playwright in the Netflix film, The Incredible Jessica James