Well friends, this will be my last post since opening night is tonight! I have learned a lot in the process and analyzing the play was definitely more challenging than I originally anticipated. I really wanted to give you a little insight on the unspoken things in the play so you have a better understanding of what happens when you actually see the show. Buried Child is a piece of theater which depicts the fragmentation of the American nuclear family in a context of disappointment with American mythology and the American dream. In many of Sam Shepard’s plays we find ourselves right in the middle of a family struggling physically, emotionally, financially or sometimes all three. Dodge and Halie were once living the American dream: owners of a bustling farm and parents to three accomplished sons but all of this was “canceled out by this one mistake. This one weakness”. Shepard is also known for his mythic realism; he uses modern twists on ancient rituals throughout American history. In Buried Child he uses the illusion of the myth of the Corn King. Theoretically, Dodge is the current Corn King and he has come to the end of his reign. However, his reign cannot end until he has found a replacement. Dodge has managed to disturb the natural order of successors to the throne by taking care of some unwanted business. All of his sons believe they are going to become the next Corn King but none of them are suitable for the position because they are all damaged in some way: Tilden mentally, Bradley physically and Ansel isn’t even alive. Dodge stresses the importance of being independent and persistent and the only person competent enough to take the position is Vince. Vince’s symbolic “birth” back into the house is when Dodge realizes it is time to give up his crown and free his soul from the confines of his sickly body.

I hope that didn’t give away too much or ruin anything for you! I also hope you have enjoyed reading my posts throughout this process and I hope you enjoy the show!

-Mara E Nadolski

Hi friends! Today finished up our second day of technical rehearsals and might I say, this is going swimmingly! So for today’s post I’m going to show you a few process shots from our first rehearsals up until this point!

This is just after one of our first run throughs, the entire cast getting notes.

Shelly and Dodge at the beginning of Act 3.

The same scene as above during our first technical rehearsal.

Shelly peeling carrots while Dodge and Tilden watch.

Here is Shelly peeling carrots during our second technical rehearsal.

As you can see we have made a lot of progress in the last few weeks. Since there are so many vegetables being picked in this play, I’m sure you’re wondering what we’re going to do with all of them. Cook with them, duh! So here is a little corn chowder recipe if you are so inclined to cook after you see our show!

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cups of corn kernels
1 1/2 cups dry potato flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
3 cups water
2 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Cook onion, red and green bell peppers, and carrots until tender.
2. Stir in corn, potato flakes, salt, ground peppers, and 3 cups water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in milk and half and half. Warm only. Do not boil. Serve sprinkled with grated cheese.

Since we’re all prepared to shoot on into tech week, I thought I would give you a little background information on our characters. For those of you who know nothing about the story, this will be a great little preparation for you. For those of you who already know the show, this may be a little redundant but I encourage you to read on!

Tilden – Dodge and Halie’s oldest son. He moved to New Mexico for a period of time and now he is back. Tilden hasn’t been the same since some unnamed activities happened causing his return from New Mexico. He is also Vince’s father. His name means fertile valley.

Bradley – Dodge and Halie’s middle son. He managed to cut his right left off with a chainsaw in an ambiguous incident that no one ever fully describes. His name means broad meadow.

Ansel – Dodge and Halie’s youngest son. Even though he never actually makes an appearance in the play, he is very much a part of this family’s history. He is known to us as the son that died in a motel room under suspicious circumstances. His name means God’s protection.

Halie – Dodge’s wife. She is the matriarch of the house. She is very insistent on keeping up appearances in order to cover up their secret in the backyard. Her name means clearing of hay.

Dodge – Halie’s husband. Dodge was once a great man; owner of a bustling farm, father to three accomplished sons, husband to a former city girl. Once in his prime, now oppressed by illness and his wife’s actions, he lives on the couch. His name mean to avert.

Vince – Tilden’s son, Halie and Dodge’s grandson. After being absent for nearly six years, Vince finally returns to his roots. When no one recognizes him, he panics and makes several desperate attempts at jogging their memories. His name means conquering.

Shelly – Vince’s girlfriend. She is an outsider and has no idea what happened years ago or what is happening now. While Vince attempts to figure things out, Shelly is simply trying to fit in to do some investigations of her own. Her name means meadow on a ledge.

Check back soon for a few tech photos and maybe another post or two!

Mara E. Nadolski

For those of you who are wondering what we’ve been up to take a look a a few rehearsal photos!

Vince and Shelly

Tilden, Bradley and Vince

(Images by Amy Rene)

Happy February everyone! Today’s post will be all about Sam Shepard, our author!

– Sam Shepard was born Samuel Shepard Rogers IV on November 2, 1943 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois.
– He briefly attended Mount Antonio Junior College but left to join a travelling theatre group.
– His first two plays were produced on a double bill – Cowboys and The Rock Garden (1964)
– He has written nearly 50 plays.
– Two of his plays, Buried Child and Curse of the Starving Class, premiere on Broadway in the same year.
– In 1974, he became the playwright in residence at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.
– He co-starred in Crimes of the Heart (1986) with Diane Keaton.
– He has appeared in movies such as The Right Stuff (1983), Hamlet (2000), and The Notebook (2004)
– He was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1994.
– He has won numerous awards including Obie Awards, the Pulitzer Prize (1979), and Drama Desk Awards.
– He has also been nominated for Academy Awards, Tony Awards and Emmy Awards.

Stay tuned for rehearsal photos and in case you’re wondering what we’ll be doing with all of our corn and carrots, I’ll be posting a few recipes!

Mara E. Nadolski

Hi folks, I’m back again, Assistant Director/Dramaturg Mara Nadolski. This time around we’re doing Sam Shepard’s Buried Child directed by Professor Jerry McGonigle with MFA candidate Kara Haas along for ride as an Assistant Director. We’re starting in on week two of rehearsals and things are already starting to shape up. In this first Buried Child entry I suppose I’ll fill you in on what goes down in the play.
The setting is a barren farm home occupied by a family filled with suppressed violence and an unease born of deep-seated unhappiness. The characters are a ranting alcoholic grandfather; a sanctimonious grandmother whose mission is to keep up their “American family” façade and their sons, Tilden, a former All-American footballer now back from New Mexico for unknown reasons; and Bradley, an amputee with a few issues. Into their midst comes Vince, a grandson none of them recognizes or remembers, and his girlfriend, Shelly, who cannot comprehend the madness to which she is suddenly thrown into. The family harbors a dark secret—one that nobody will admit to until Dodge unearths the mystery that Tilden brings in from the back yard.
Buried Child won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979, was revised in 1996 for Broadway and is now going to be performed in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre in the Creative Art Center starting on February 24, 2012 running until March 4.
“Shepard is one of the most prolific of our playwrights, and, for that matter, certainly one of the most brilliant.” —NY Post. “Mr. Shepard is an uncommon playwright and uncommonly gifted?” —NY Times. “wildly poetic, full of stage images and utterances replete with insidious suggestiveness?” —NY Magazine.

Well I hope that will keep you occupied for the time being. Return next time for a little background on our author, Sam Shepard.