Reviews for Plays for the End of the Century

The average rating for Plays for the End of the Century based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-03-10 00:00:00 Thomas Hinson State of chock Reading what so ever written by Shepard means going through a shortened social history of America after ww II, and up till the end of 20.century. Plots are so simple and dialogues are not very much sophisticated. Maybe some of works by Shepard are not as interesting as the others, but for those whom are interested in sociology, and drama as writing-art, will enjoy reading or watching works by Shepard. Reading simple and plain plays by Shepard gives you dare to sit and write about whatsoever plot you have in your mind. Many of his plays are so easy, but honest, fluent and great as well. After watching Paris, Texas by Wenders, I believe Wenders shots matches with Shepard's atmosphere and dialogues. "Few American playwrights have exerted as much influence on the contemporary stage as Sam Shepard. His plays are performed on and off Broadway and in all the major regional American theatres. They are also widely performed and studied in Europe, finding both a popular and a scholarly audience" . با وجودی که سام شپارد، موضوعاتی گاه پیش پا افتاده را با زبانی ساده و در عین حال بصورتی حیرت انگیز طرح می کند، نمی دانم چرا تا کنون به فارسی برگردانده نشده اند، یا احتمالن من ندیده ام. خواندن شپارد اگر هیچ نباشد، دست کم درس بزرگی ست برای آنها که می خواهند بنویسند، و آنها که سال هاست می نویسند اما آن چنان سنگین که انگار "وزنه برداری" می کنند! آثار سام شپارد به نمایش نامه ها و داستان های کوتاهش محدود نمی شوند. او در زمینه ی موسیقی جاز و پاپ هم کار کرده و برخی از سروده هایش برای خوانندگان صاحب نام، مشهور است. سام شپارد بازیگر سینما و تیاتر هم هست و در برخی از فیلم ها همچون "فرانسیس" یا "دیگه نیا دم در" (ویم وندرس) با همسرش "جسیکا لنگ" همبازی بوده است. سام شپارد هم چنین نقد تیاتر و سینما هم می نویسد و برخی از نقدهایش در مجلات مشهور انگلیسی زبان منتشر می شوند.

Review # 2 was written on 2007-05-30 00:00:00 Mike D. Wiethorn A bit abstract for my taste. If I interpreted this correctly, it seems as though the "character" are more human representations of fears, ethos, weaknesses. The freezing on the stage when they're not speaking, the dancing, the gas masks, the masturbation--I was puzzled when reading this and knew I would be even more puzzled seeing this performed on stage. The Colonel, who wears so much paraphernalia it is hard to discern which war they're speaking of (there are gas masks in the play--WWII--but also a reference to Little Richard and the Cold War). He takes a wounded veteran named Stubbs to a family restaurant; Stubbs was shot trying in vain to save the Colonel's late son. In the beginning the Colonel wants to establish all the details of the moments leading up to his son's death, and Stubbs either can't or won't comply. As the play continues, as the white couple dining interject complaints or comments (I myself was unsure what to make of them) Stubbs maps out those final moments, but by then the Colonel is set on abandoning him, then cowing him to submission. Stubbs claims several times throughout the play that the Colonel invented his death, as in Stubbs is actually the Colonel's son. The play is rife with biblical references, which some of the characters try to denounce. Like i said, I am unsure what to make of it, but Sam Shepard has intrigued me, and I would like to continue reading more of his work.