Understudy Performance: Curse of the Starving Class

Director: Sal Trapani

Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class is a darkly comic look into the world of the dysfunctional Tate family, as they struggle amongst themselves for food, freedom, and purpose in their run-down lives. The Tates will do just about anything to raise themselves out of the downward spiral into which they’ve fallen. But is it even possible? Or are some families, Shepard asks, just cursed from the start?

A Community Conversation event will take place after the Sunday, Nov. 5, matinee. Joining the play’s director, cast members, a designer and WCSU student dramaturg Liv Lanteri is Professor Michael Schiavi of the New York Institute of Technology, a specialist in LGBTQ+ culture and author of the biography of queer film scholar and archivist Vito Russo.

The Visual and Performing Arts Center at Western Connecticut State University is the premiere educational arts facility in the region. This $98,000,000, 130,000 square foot arts center boasts a multitude of dynamic spaces to delight audiences and invigorate artists. Facilities include the 350-seat Veronica Hagman Concert Hall which features three-tiered, 360 degree seating, the 350-seat MainStage Theatre, the versatile Studio Theatre, and the stunning and vibrant Art Gallery. All spaces are equipped with the finest technology in the arts industry, enhancing the work that appears on stage and on exhibition. This state-of-the-art center provides immeasurable creative and collaborative opportunities for students, faculty and patrons. Since opening in 2014, the Visual and Performing Arts Center has solidified its reputation of offering Broadway-caliber theatre and renowned jazz and classical concerts with affordable ticket prices, and innovative gallery exhibitions at no cost to the community.

WCSU student tickets are $10.00 and are available for purchase at the VPAC box office.

No refunds are permitted; all sales are final. Please note that tickets are subject to a higher price at the box office. The venue recommends purchasing your tickets in advance on wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.

If you require a seating accomodation, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you!

Host or Publisher Visual & Performing Arts Center at WCSU