
Buried Child
Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning play in a production by The New Group. Dodge and Halie try to hang on to their farmland and their sanity while caring for their two wayward grown sons. When their grandson arrives, no one seems to recognize him and a secret must be kept.
Insights
Plot Summary
This production stages Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about the disintegration of the American Dream and the unraveling of the dysfunctional American family. The play explores themes of buried secrets, mental instability, and the cyclical nature of abuse within the Dodge family, revealing dark truths that surface and shatter their already fragile reality.
Critical Reception
The 2016 Broadway revival of Sam Shepard's 'Buried Child,' directed by Oskar Eustis and featuring a notable cast, was met with considerable critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the powerful performances, the enduring relevance of Shepard's text, and the production's stark and unflinching portrayal of familial decay and societal disillusionment.
What Reviewers Say
- A masterclass in dark American drama.
- Stellar performances bring Shepard's bleak vision to life.
- A potent and disturbing exploration of family dysfunction.
Google audience: Audience reception for this specific theatrical production is not widely documented through Google user reviews.
Awards & Accolades
The original 1996 production won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This 2016 revival received multiple Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of a Play.
Fun Fact
The play's title, 'Buried Child,' refers to a recurring nightmare experienced by the character Halie, symbolizing the hidden traumas and secrets that plague the family.
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