Theater Review: 'Curse of the Starving Class' by WCSU Dept. of Theatre

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

The Western CT State University Department of Theatre Arts presented “Curse of the Starving Class,” a play written by the late Sam Shepard. The two casts of university students are directed by Sal Trapani, with Justin P. Cowan as the show’s producer.

Shepard’s script focuses on the disturbed (and disturbing) Tate family as they struggle mightily for control of the rundown family farm in what proves to be a futile search for freedom, security and even meaning in their lives.

Trapani directs a Sam Shepard play for the first time, and this work is one of his favorites. The director saw the play in New York with Kathy Bates as Ella back in 1985. Trapani notes that “‘Curse’ is a beauty of a play that evocatively and eloquently chronicles the crumbling of the American Dream through the despair of the Tate family. Watch them hold on for dear life as their world is changing. Watch the predators descend as the family is powerless to do anything but succumb.”

Co-dramaturg Esther Goldstein writes that “Shepard’s work, originally crafted in the 1980s of Ronald Reagan, remains a timely lesson to today’s Americans haunted and taunted by the seemingly unachievable presented as a guarantee–if only they worked a little harder.”

Because “Dysfunction is all the family knows,” this is relatively heavy to experience. There are some monologues that steer toward poetry. There is also some dark comedy and satire mixed into the three acts, but for the rest of the action it almost feels like we cannot look away.

The cast does extremely well with their characters, some aging up and some playing younger. I watched the Cast Coyote bring the show to life at a Sunday matinee in the black box theater.

In this cast, sophomore Alex Lee takes on the role of the drunken father Weston and pulls it off. Lee, who hails from Old Lyme, has appeared at the Niantic Bay Playhouse. WCSU senior Ali Marie Montgomery plays the burned out mother. Asia Aloma, a junior from Southington who played Tatania in “The Donkey Show,” plays the rebellious teenage daughter Emma. First year university student Jackson Owen, who performed in “Angels in America Part 2: Perestroika,” does well with the role of the idealistic son Wesley in this crumbling family, the role played Off Broadway by Bradley Whitford opposite Kathy Bates.

Senior Kiernan Urso from Long Island plays a shyster lawyer in a loud suit with too-short slacks and sophomore Max Konidaris (“Legally Blonde”) plays the sleazy Ellis. the owner of the “Alibi Club.” Athan Fischer, a sophomore, plays Emerson, a minor character in an animal print coat who represents the men to whom Weston is in debt. Junior Rachel Rosenberg gender-bends the role of Slater, Emerson's accomplice. Sophomore Angelina Molina comes on as Sergeant Malcolm at the end of the play.

Meredith Yoho worked as the technical director, with Kori Hansen as technical coordinator. The realistically dirty scenery and costumes were designed by Maureen Freedman. Arielle Edwards added some appropriate music to the sound design and Evan Anderson was in charge of the fine lighting design. The front and sides of the stage were ringed with mismatched chairs and couches in the front row for audience members brave enough to sit that close to the action.

“Curse of the Starving Class” runs a bit over two hours with a ten-minute intermission and performances continue in the VPAC black box through April 13. The two casts, Cast Cactus and Cast Coyote, share the remaining performances, and the understudy cast performed on Apr. 6.

Performances are at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 11; 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 12; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, in the Studio Theatre in the Visual and Performing Arts Center on the Westside campus.

For tickets and more info: wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com or wcsu.edu/svpca

In the printed program, the department announced their 2025-2026 season. It will include "American Psycho: The Musical" in October, "The Comedy of Errors" into November, "Machinal" at the end of November, "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" in February, "Rhinoceros" in April and "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive" in May.

Photos of the Cast Coyote by Tony DeZinno