Recounting Sam Shepard and His Rich Treasure of Written Plays - Research Paper Example

Recounting Sam Shepard and His Rich Treasure of Written Plays Famous for his exclamatory ment in 1971: “I don't want to be a playwright, I want to be a rock and roll star,” Sam Shepard equivalently yielded to a pattern of career and living that had sought an avant-garde, radical liberation yet managed to have preserved the literary genius in the context of the widely anticipated professionalism in all his works. Prior to taking interests in writing plays, Shepard's early youth had been marked by turmoil in the struggling family life at the start of critical transition to artistic pursuit for he mostly read poetry and joined a garage band as a drummer than took appreciation of learning in the formal academe (Liukkonen).

Beckett's “Waiting for Godot” was among the influences that prompted Sam to imagine a remarkable prospect in writing. By acquiring knowledge through acting workshops with certain actors on tour, Sam Shepard began establishing his inclination to theatrical involvement (Liukkonen). The experience gained on taking agricultural studies might most probably be the chief motivation behind his first complete play “Cowboys” which was readily offered its due acclaim by The Village Voice. Similarly, in association to the passion attached with rock and roll music (It's Only) and Patti Smith, the rock musical creations “Cowboy Mouth” and “The Tooth of Crime” were given birth of publicity in 1971 and 1972, respectively (Liukkonen).

In his characters, Sam Shepard had communicated situations and virtues that depict excruciating realities where solace is found in the bizarre so that the apparent consistent theme in his substantial, uniquely embellished crafts may be identified to progress from a shattered state, as if of losing sense of rational existence into a resolution that revives inner strength and the individual's desire for old traditional connections between the rural and the contemporary urban essences. The growing significance across times of a rather complex yet exquisite subject in all its truth and mode of presentation brought forth ample recognition with plays “Curse of Starving Class” in 1976 and “Buried Child” in 1979 which earned Shepard the renowned playwright status besides popularity blossoming out of market expansion and the rare Pulitzer distinction (Liukkonen).

On proceeding to generate written plays that relate to the changing demands and motives of the modern era after the 70s, playwright Sam Shepard had become profoundly engaged into his screenplays. He eventually necessitated a revolutionary development by adjusting his original function to align with the suitable traits his intended character ought to convey to the audience. Thus, Shepard customized his written scripts to the optimum wisdom and aesthetics by being himself an actor of his character and director in such films as “Fool For Love” where he co-starred with Kim Basinger, “Silent Tongue” in 1994, “The Right Stuff” for which he received nomination for Best Supporting Actor in portraying the role as Chuck Yeager (True West), as well as “Frances” in 1982 which included collaborative acting performance with second, actress-producer wife Jessica Lange (Liukkonen).

Works Cited Liukkonen, P. “Sam Shepard (1943 - ) In Full Samuel Shepard Rogers.” 2010. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/sshepard.htm. 17 Feb 2011. “It's Only Rock-and-Roll.” 2010. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma95/blackbrn/rroll.html.16 Feb 2011. “True West, False West.” 2011. http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma95/blackbrn/twest.html.18 Feb 2011.