Review: Curse of the Starving Class at Theatre Raleigh

While the United States was built on the idea of the American Dream, for many it is still just that: a dream. This desperate grab for the promise of a better tomorrow is a central theme of Sam Shepard’s play Curse of the Starving Class, illuminating just how far we still have to go. 

Michael Tourek

Directed by Charlie Brady, the production tells the story of the tragic Tate family – an alcoholic father, a disillusioned and absent mother, a rebellious teenage daughter, and idealist son – and their struggle for control of their rundown family farm. While they may have enough to physically sustain themselves, the production is a metaphor for their insatiable desire for a dream always just beyond their reach, dangled in front of them like a glowing beacon luring them forward.  

That being said……

The production itself is rather slow. Most of the dialogue is not conversations between the characters, but rather an endless slew of soliloquies. Which would be fine, if the soliloquies offered insights into the plot or the characters’ emotions. Instead, they served as the production’s narration and read almost as stage directions, forcing the characters to tell the audience, rather than showing them. And isn’t the idea of “show, don’t tell” one of the beautiful things about theater? The emotions on stage are real and tangible, allowing us as audience members to feel them in the moment. A minute-by-minute monologue describing the model airplanes hanging from the ceiling dampens this effect, and instead leaves audiences feeling like they are still waiting for something to happen to move the plot along. 

To their credit, the actors do a decent job with the material they are given. Weston (played by Michael Tourek) is an alcoholic father who is ruled by his rage and impulsiveness. He is easily taken advantage of and allows his debts to control his actions. Tourek brings a grittiness to the character and highlights the role alcoholism and aggressiveness can play in destroying a family while still bringing a sprinkle of hopeful naiveté for a better tomorrow. 

While Weston tears the family apart, older brother Wesley (Tom Butler) does his best to stitch it back together. Serving as caretaker and father figure for his mother and sister, Wesley does his best to bring a sense of normalcy to the chaos his family brings while still bringing the antics of a teenage boy. Butler manages to strike this delicate balance as he terrorizes his little sister Emma (Maddie Behrens) as only older brothers can, including urinating on her project and making fun of her when she enters the room covered in mud. 

Heather Shore (left) and Maddie Behrens

Of course, this entrance is made with a full on temper tantrum from Behrens. Emma may be sharp and blunt for her age, but she is also a petulant teenage girl experiencing her first period, which becomes a key point in defining the character. The overt, mood-swing-related-brattiness adds to the chaotic over-the-top-ness of the Tate family, but perhaps it is time we stop using women’s normal bodily functions as fodder for attempts at comedic content. 

Tom Butler

Ella Tate (Heather Shore) is her own kind of dysfunctional. Unable to cope with her husband Weston’s alcoholism or her family’s financial situation, her approach to things is often flighty and detached. Shore brings a frantic, anxiety-ridden energy to the role as the world spins faster than Ella can keep up. 

In a production full of exaggerated characters, set designer Chris Bernier and property designer Tim Seib help ground the production as they build the Tate farmhouse and the valuable land it sits on. Slanted windows suspended from the ceiling and a dirt road leading out of the room bring audiences into a world that is real and believable amongst the shouted soliloquies about the importance of sleeping on a kitchen table rather than in a bed. 

The production also features costume design from Malissa Borden, lighting design from Jeremy Diamond, and sound design from Cameron Fitzpatrick.

Curse of the Starving Class runs at Theatre Raleigh through Sunday, November 17, 2024. Tickets can be purchased here, including tickets for an ASL interpreted performance on November 17, 2024 at 3pm. This production features mature language and content, flashing lights, and theatrical haze. The production run two and a half hours, including one intermission.

All photos courtesy of Theatre Raleigh