Difference between revisions of "Curse of the Starving Class"

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American playwright  and actor Sam Shepard's (1943-2017) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Shepard] play in three acts ''[[Curse of the Starving Class]]''. Themes that directly relate to South Africa such as the individual's starving for identity and the predatory nature of the norms set by society form the basis of the play.
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''[[Curse of the Starving Class]]'' is a play by [[Sam Shepard]] (1943-2017) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Shepard]  
  
 
== The original text ==
 
== The original text ==
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A play in three acts that contains themes such as the individual's starving for identity and the predatory nature of the norms set by society form the basis of the play.
  
 
First performed in London in April 1977. Published in ''Plays Two'' by Sam Shepard, Faber & Faber, 1997.
 
First performed in London in April 1977. Published in ''Plays Two'' by Sam Shepard, Faber & Faber, 1997.
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1980: ''[[Vloek van die Verhongerdes]]'' performed in Windhoek by [[SWAPAC]], directed by [[Peter Kleinschmidt]] with [[Lochner de Kock]], [[George Ballot]], [[Mees Xsteen]], [[Dirk Vermeulen]], [[Margaret Fölscher]], [[Marié Human]], [[Cobus Strydom]] and [[Jakkie Groenewald]].
 
1980: ''[[Vloek van die Verhongerdes]]'' performed in Windhoek by [[SWAPAC]], directed by [[Peter Kleinschmidt]] with [[Lochner de Kock]], [[George Ballot]], [[Mees Xsteen]], [[Dirk Vermeulen]], [[Margaret Fölscher]], [[Marié Human]], [[Cobus Strydom]] and [[Jakkie Groenewald]].
  
1986: Presented by [[CAPAB]] at the [[Nico Malan Theatre|Nico Arena]] opening 21 January 1986, directed and designed by [[Marthinus Basson]], with [[Antoinette Kellermann]] (Ella), [[Neels Coetzee]] (Weston), [[Margaretha Fischer]] (Emma), [[David Dennis]] (Taylor), [[Phillip Boucher]] (Ellis), [[Owen de Jager]] (Malcolm/Slater), [[Mark Fleishman]] (Emmerson) and [[David Tomsu]] (Wesley). Lighting [[Malcolm Hurrell]].
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1986: Presented in English by [[CAPAB]] at the [[Nico Malan Theatre|Nico Arena]] opening 21 January 1986, directed and designed by [[Marthinus Basson]], with [[Antoinette Kellermann]] (Ella), [[Neels Coetzee]] (Weston), [[Margaretha Fischer]] (Emma), [[David Dennis]] (Taylor), [[Phillip Boucher]] (Ellis), [[Owen de Jager]] (Malcolm/Slater), [[Mark Fleishman]] (Emmerson) and [[David Tomsu]] (Wesley). Lighting [[Malcolm Hurrell]].
  
 
1994: The [[Rhodes University Drama Department]] Honours student production was directed by [[Adam Neill]] in August.
 
1994: The [[Rhodes University Drama Department]] Honours student production was directed by [[Adam Neill]] in August.

Revision as of 07:08, 3 April 2026

Curse of the Starving Class is a play by Sam Shepard (1943-2017) [1]

The original text

A play in three acts that contains themes such as the individual's starving for identity and the predatory nature of the norms set by society form the basis of the play.

First performed in London in April 1977. Published in Plays Two by Sam Shepard, Faber & Faber, 1997.

Translations and adaptations

Vloek van die Verhongerdes, a translation into Afrikaans by Marco van der Colff. First performed in Namibia in 1980.

Performance history in South Africa

1980: Vloek van die Verhongerdes performed in Windhoek by SWAPAC, directed by Peter Kleinschmidt with Lochner de Kock, George Ballot, Mees Xsteen, Dirk Vermeulen, Margaret Fölscher, Marié Human, Cobus Strydom and Jakkie Groenewald.

1986: Presented in English by CAPAB at the Nico Arena opening 21 January 1986, directed and designed by Marthinus Basson, with Antoinette Kellermann (Ella), Neels Coetzee (Weston), Margaretha Fischer (Emma), David Dennis (Taylor), Phillip Boucher (Ellis), Owen de Jager (Malcolm/Slater), Mark Fleishman (Emmerson) and David Tomsu (Wesley). Lighting Malcolm Hurrell.

1994: The Rhodes University Drama Department Honours student production was directed by Adam Neill in August.

2018: A Woordfees production was directed by Sylvaine Strike, starring Neil McCarthy, Rob van Vuuren, Leila Henriques, Roberto Pombo, Anthony Coleman, Inge Crafford-Lazarus and Damon Berry. Set design by Chen Nakar and Andrea van der Kuil, lighting design by Mannie Manim, costumes by Andrea van der Kuil and Sylvaine Strike. Stage manager Loren Nel.


Sources

Wikipedia [2].

Curse of the Starving Class programme, 1986.

Various entries in the NELM catalogue relating to the 1994 production.

Woordfees 2018 programme book, p. 152.

SWAPAC News, August 1980. (In: George Ballot scrapbooks, held in the PARC research collection at the Africa Open Institute for Music, Research and Innovation, Stellenbosch. Used with the kind permission of Prof Muller Ballot[3] and consulted 2026).

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