American playwright Sam Shepard’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, “Buried Child,” opens tonight in the Clarence Brown Theatre with a modern musical upgrade.
Directed by German actor and director Veronika Nowag-Jones, the play chronicles the story of a Midwestern family who falls on economic hardships after its prosperous farm fails. Despite being inherently dysfunctional, the family relies on the typical hard-working, God-fearing image to get through the distress.
After a six-year separation, grandson Vince brings home his new girlfriend, Shelly, to meet the family.
Much to Vince’s dismay, the family has no recollection of whom he is.
After some detailed investigation, Shelly begins to unravel the mystery of the disturbing family, as well as the secret that it has been hiding for years.
“It is a great play dealing with a view of America and the American family that is uniquely Sam Shepard,” Lauren Houston, a sophomore in theater, said.
The play delves definitively into the darker aspects of life, according to Kim Midkiff, education and outreach director for the Clarence Brown Theater and assistant dramaturge for this play.
“It is about the disintegration of American life and the American dream,” she said.
The subject matter seems a bit odd, then, for its musical accompaniment. International jazz musician Sirone signed on to compose original music specifically for the production, as well as to perform the pieces on stage with the company.
In a press release, Sirone asserted that the pairing between Shepard’s dark style and the music was a perfect match.
“In his writing, he creates a relationship with music,” Sirone said, “which are two art forms that are very harmonious. It is not so often that a director, writer and composer can come together to show the unity of the art forms.”
Houston said the performance is thought provoking and will offer a fresh outlook on theatre.
“I love it for the way it makes you think about this family and how they function,” Houston said. “Also, the set is really cool, so just the experience of watching ‘Buried Child’ is going to be new and exciting.”
Midkiff also added, “It is a chance to experience a play by a very famous American playwright, and it is being directed by a great professional director.”
Whitney Lawson, marketing director for the Clarence Brown Theatre, encourages everyone to reserve their tickets immediately.
“We have 3,000 subscribers this year,” she said, “which means that 3,000 seats are already gone for every production.”
“Buried Child” previewed last night, and opens tonight at 8 in the Clarence Brown Theatre, and will run through Oct. 25. Student tickets are $5 with a valid student ID. As a special offer for this production, the theater is offering a limited number of free orchestra seats for every show on first-come, first-serve basis. These tickets, 28 for each night, must be claimed at the Clarence Brown Theatre box office, located in the theater lobby.
