Action (play)
Action is a 1974 play by Sam Shepard. The play, which scholar Stephen J. Bottoms described as "stark" and "plotless", is considered by scholars to be among his most important works.[1] It has been compared to the work of Samuel Beckett.[2]
| Action | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Sam Shepard |
| Characters | Shooter Jeep Liza Lupe |
| Date premiered | 1974 |
| Place premiered | Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Drama |
Production history
Action was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London, in October 1974, directed by Nancy Meckler.[1] The original cast was as follows:
- Shooter - Steven Moore
- Jeep - Steven Rea
- Liza -
- Lupe - Jennifer Stoller
The play was also performed at New York's American Place Theatre with a companion piece, Shepard's monologue Killer's Head,[1] premiered with it as a double bill.
In 1975, Sam Shepard directed a revival of the play at the Magic Theater in San Francisco, where he was artist in residence.[3]
Plot summary
Action follows two men and two women stuck in a house on Christmas, after some implied disastrous event has taken place in the world. They attempt to cook a holiday dinner and perform other domestic rituals, from the mundane like hanging laundry, to the absurd like tap dancing and pretending to be bears.
References
- Bottoms, Stephen J. (1998). The Theatre of Sam Shepard: States of Crisis. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521587914. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- Winters, John J. (15 March 2017). Sam Shepard: A Life. Counterpoint. ISBN 9781619029842. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- "Sam Shepard". The Wittliff Collections. Retrieved 10 April 2023.