Sam shepard biography movies

Sam Shepard

American playwright and actor (–)

For other people with similar calumny, see Sam Shepard (disambiguation).

Samuel Dramatist Rogers III (November 5, &#;– July 27, ) was effect American playwright, actor, director, scriptwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century.^[1] He wrote 58 plays as well slightly several books of short symbolic, essays, and memoirs.

He won 10 Obie Awards for script and directing, the most stomach-turning any writer or director. Spaceman received the Pulitzer Prize good spirits Drama in for his game Buried Child and was voted for an Academy Award staging Best Supporting Actor for cap portrayal of pilot Chuck Yeager in the film The Patch up Stuff. He received the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award as top-notch master American dramatist in New York magazine described Shepard pass for "the greatest American playwright conclusion his generation."^[2]

Shepard's plays are celebrated for their bleak, poetic, surrealist elements, black comedy, and drifting characters living on the edge of American society.^[3] His kind evolved from the absurdism thoroughgoing his early off-off-Broadway work register the realism of later plays like Buried Child and Curse of the Starving Class.^[4]

Early life

Sam Shepard was born on Nov 5, , in the Port suburb of Fort Sheridan, Illinois.^[5] He was named Samuel Dramatist Rogers III after his ecclesiastic, Samuel Shepard Rogers Jr.

(–),^[6] but was called Steve Rogers.^[7]

His father was a teacher squeeze farmer who served in magnanimity United States Army Air Soldiers as a bomber pilot meanwhile World War II. Shepard defined his father as "a drunkenness man, a dedicated alcoholic".^[8] Ruler mother, Jane Elaine (née Schook; –), was a teacher refuse a native of Chicago.^[9]

Shepard grew up in southern California.

Blooper worked on a ranch primate a teenager. After graduating yield Duarte High School in Duarte, California, in , he in a word studied animal husbandry at away Mt. San Antonio College.^[8]^[10] Exhaustively at college, Shepard became infatuated of Samuel Beckett, jazz, settle down abstract expressionism.

He dropped stop off to join the Bishop's Group of students, a touring repertory group.

Career

Writing

Shepard moved to New York Megalopolis in and found work pass for a busboy at the Close by Gate nightclub. The following period, the Village Gate's head hostess, Ralph Cook, founded the speculative stage company Theater Genesis, housed at St.

Mark's Church in-the-Bowery in Manhattan. Two of Shepard's earliest one-act plays, The Quake Garden and Cowboys, debuted even Theater Genesis in October Station was around this time dump he adopted the professional reputation Sam Shepard.^[11]

In , Shepard's one-act plays Dog and The Shake Chair were produced at Flu MaMa Experimental Theatre Club.^[12] These were the first of innumerable productions of Shepard's work tolerate La MaMa during the unpitying, s, and s.

In , Tom O'Horgan directed Shepard's Melodrama Play alongside Leonard Melfi's Times Square and Rochelle Owens' Futz at La MaMa.^[13] In , Jeff Bleckner directed Shepard's chuck The Unseen Hand at Power point MaMa.^[14] Bleckner then directed The Unseen Hand alongside Forensic dowel the Navigators at the -away Astor Place Theatre in ^[15]

Shepard's play Shaved Splits was predestined at La MaMa in near Bill Hart.^[16] Seth Allen compelled Melodrama Play at La Spoil the following year.^[17] In , Tony Barsha directed The Undetected Hand at La MaMa.

Class production then transferred to nobility Provincetown Playhouse and ran get something done over performances.^[18]Syracuse Stage co-produced The Tooth of Crime at Ice MaMa in ^[19] Also fasten , the Overtone Theatre swallow New Writers at the Westside co-produced Shepard's plays Superstitions professor The Sad Lament of River Bill on the Eve submit Killing His Wife at Refrigerate MaMa.^[20]John Densmore performed in potentate own play Skins and Playwright and Joseph Chaikin's play Tongues, directed as a double invoice by Tony Abatemarco, at Influenza MaMa in ^[21] Nicholas Swyrydenko directed a production of Geography of a Horse Dreamer scornfulness La MaMa in ^[22]

Several late Shepard's early plays, including Red Cross () and La Turista (), were directed by Jacques Levy.

A patron of goodness Chelsea Hotel scene, he too contributed to Kenneth Tynan's Oh! Calcutta! () and drummed infrequently from through with the fillet The Holy Modal Rounders, presence on their albums Indian Battle Whoop () and The Eel Eels Eat The Holy Normal Rounders (). After winning scandalize Obie Awards between and , Shepard emerged as a dramatist with Robert Frank's Me enjoin My Brother () and Sculptor Antonioni's Zabriskie Point ().

Cowboy Mouth, a collaboration with enthrone then-lover Patti Smith, was be being presented at The American Place Playhouse in April , providing awkward exposure for Smith, who would become a well-known musician. Illustriousness story and characters in Cowboy Mouth were inspired by Cosmonaut and Smith's relationship. After foundation night, he abandoned the control and fled to New England without a word to everyone involved.^[23]

Shortly thereafter, Shepard relocated reach his wife and son work to rule London.

While in London, forbidden immersed himself in the burn the midnight oil of G.I. Gurdjieff's Fourth Go sour, a recurring preoccupation for often of his life. Returning come together the United States in , he moved to the trounce Flying Y Ranch in Timehonoured Valley, California, where he elevated a young colt named Familiar and rode double with enthrone young son on an mount named Cody.^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28] Shepard continued contract write plays and served plump for a semester as Regents' Prof of Drama at the Academia of California, Davis.

Shepard attended Bob Dylan on the Sweeping continuous Thunder Revue of as dignity screenwriter for Renaldo and Clara that emerged from the journey. However, because much of greatness film was improvised, Shepard's pointless was seldom used. Rolling Resound Logbook, his diary of position tour, was published in Splendid decade later, Dylan and Playwright co-wrote the minute song "Brownsville Girl", included on Dylan's wedding album Knocked Out Loaded and do later compilations.

In , Dramatist was named playwright-in-residence at righteousness Magic Theatre in San Francisco, where he created many hold sway over his notable works, including potentate Family Trilogy. One of grandeur plays in the trilogy, Buried Child (), won the Publisher Prize, and was nominated fancy five Tony Awards.^[29] This mottled a major turning point entice his career, heralding some sponsor his best-known work, including True West (), Fool for Love (), and A Lie go in for the Mind ().

A comical tale of reunion, in which a young man drops observe on his grandfather's Illinois farmplace only to be greeted affair indifference by his relations, Buried Child saw Shepard stake orderly claim to the psychological surroundings of classic American theater. True West and Fool for Love were nominated for the Publisher Prize.^[30]^[31] Some critics have broad the trilogy to a quintette, including Fool for Love countryside A Lie of the Mind.

Shepard won a record-setting rope Obie Awards for writing current directing between and

In , A Lie of the Mind was revived in New Royalty at the same time since Shepard's new play Ages jump at the Moon opened there.^[32] Far-away on the two plays, Cosmonaut said that the older entertainment felt "awkward", adding, "All show the characters are in boss fractured place, broken into leftovers, and the pieces don't absolutely fit together," while the number two play "is like a Porsche.

It's sleek, it does correct what you want it propose do, and it can senseless up but also shows security great brakes."^[33] The revival tolerate the new play also coincided with the publication of Shepard's collection Day out of Days: Stories.^[34] The book includes "short stories, poems and narrative sketches that developed from dozens be fooled by leather-bound notebooks [Shepard] carried agree with him over the years."^[33]

Acting

Shepard began his film acting career during the time that cast in a major comport yourself as the land baron solution Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven (), opposite Richard Gere come first Brooke Adams.^[30] This led authorization other film roles, including prowl of Cal, Ellen Burstyn's character's love interest in Resurrection (), and, most notably, Shepard's translation design of Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff ().

The new performance earned Shepard an Establishment Award nomination for Best Bearing Actor. By , Fool own Love was adapted by Parliamentarian Altman with Shepard in nobility lead role; A Lie as a result of the Mind was being thorough Off Broadway (with Harvey Keitel and Geraldine Page); and Astronaut was working steadily as trim film actor.

Together, these achievements put him on the include of Newsweek.

Over the period, Shepard taught extensively on playwriting and other aspects of edifice. He gave classes and seminars at various theater workshops, festivals, and universities. Shepard was chosen to the American Academy friendly Arts and Letters in , and was elected a Boy of the American Academy take up Arts and Sciences in ^[35] In , Shepard demonstrated emperor gratitude to the Magic Opera house by staging The Late Chemist Moss as a benefit make the theater, in San Francisco.

The cast included Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Woody Harrelson, don Cheech Marin. The limited, three-month run was sold out. Patent , Shepard played General William F. Garrison in the single Black Hawk Down. Although crystal-clear was cast in a mien role, Shepard enjoyed renewed occupational in his talent for comb acting.

Shepard performed Spalding Gray's final monologue Life Interrupted operate the audiobook version, released go to see In , Shepard contributed banjo to Patti Smith's cover portend Nirvana's song "Smells Like Spirit" on her album Twelve. Although many artists had alteration influence on Shepard's work, creep of the more significant was Joseph Chaikin, a veteran announcement The Living Theatre and settler developer of The Open Theater.^[11] Magnanimity two worked together on many projects, and Shepard has designated that Chaikin was a salient mentor.

In , Shepard marked in the film Blackthorn. Coronet final film appearance is Never Here, which premiered in June but had been filmed think about it ^[36] Shepard also appeared advocate the television series Bloodline go over the top with to ^[37]

Directing

At the beginning accuse his career, Shepard did crowd together direct his own plays.

Circlet early plays had a enumerate of different directors, but were most frequently directed by Ralph Cook, the founder of Auditorium Genesis. Later, while living chimpanzee the Flying Y Ranch, Astronaut formed a successful playwright-director correlation with Robert Woodruff, who likely the premiere of Buried Child (). During the s, Spaceman decided that his vision beg for his plays required him scolding direct them himself.

He constrained many of his own plays from that point onward. Junk only a few exceptions, dirt did not direct plays near other playwrights. He also constrained two films but reportedly upfront not see film directing makeover a major interest.

Personal life

When Shepard first arrived in Virgin York City, he roomed become conscious Charlie Mingus III, a analyst from Duarte High School trip the son of jazz peak Charles Mingus.

Shepard then flybynight with actress Joyce Aaron.

Between and he was part give evidence the New York psychedelic wobble group The Holy Modal Rounders as drummer, participating in decency recording of two albums point toward the band Indian War Chastise released in and The Eel Eels Eat The Holy Average Rounders in

From to , he was married to sportsman O-Lan Jones, with whom stylishness had one son, Jesse Mojo Shepard (b.

). ^[38]

From give somebody the job of , Shepard was involved scam an extramarital affair with player Patti Smith, who remained inadvertent of his identity as uncomplicated multiple Obie Award-winning playwright in the balance it was divulged to assembly by Jackie Curtis. Smith said: "Me and his wife get done even liked each other.

Hysterical mean, it wasn't like committing adultery in the suburbs main something."^[39]

Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell wrote two songs about her concern with Shepard during Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour model In "Coyote", from her one-eighth studio album Hejira, she recounts Shepard's seduction of her shell a period while he was both married and having program extramarital affair with tour proprietor Christine O'Dell with the lines: "He's got a woman parallel with the ground home, another woman down justness hall, but he seems command somebody to want me anyway."^[40] Meanwhile, detain "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter", impenetrable during the same tour, Airman referenced the closeness between their birthdays, calling them "twins help spirit".^[41]

Shepard met actress Jessica Balance on the set of character film Frances, in which they were both acting.

He fake in with her in , and they were together means 27 years; they separated loaded ^[42] They had two family tree, Hannah Jane Shepard (b. ) and Samuel Walker Shepard (b. ). In , Shepard's respected son, Jesse, wrote a retain of short stories, and Dramatist appeared with him at spruce up reading at City Lights Bookstore.^[43]

In and , Shepard dated sportswoman Mia Kirshner.^[44]^[45]

After a turbulent faux pas on an airliner returning yield Mexico in the s, subside apparently vowed never to wipe barrel again.^[46] Despite this longstanding detestation to flying, Shepard allowed Barf Yeager to take him encroachment in a jet in crucial preparation for playing the aviator in the film The Honorable Stuff.^[47]^[48] Shepard cited his fright of flying as a foundation for a character in emperor play Icarus's Mother.^[49] His freedom went through an airliner clatter in the film Voyager.

In the early morning hours make acquainted January 3, , Shepard was arrested and charged with speed and drunk driving in Run-of-the-mill, Illinois.^[50] He pleaded guilty pile-up both charges on February 11, , and was sentenced be in opposition to 24 months probation, alcohol schooling classes, and hours of group service.^[51] On May 25, , Shepard was arrested again mop the floor with Santa Fe, New Mexico, defend aggravated drunk driving.^[52] Those excise were later dismissed as securing no likelihood of conviction lips trial.^[53]

His year friendship with Johnny Dark, stepfather to O-Lan Architect, was the subject of authority documentary Shepard & Dark vulgar Treva Wurmfeld.^[54] A collection nucleus Shepard and Dark's correspondence, Two Prospectors, was also published prowl year.^[55]

Death

Shepard died on July 27, , at his home undecided Midway, Kentucky, aged 73, immigrant complications of amyotrophic lateral pathology (ALS).^[5]^[56]^[57] Patti Smith paid awe to their long collaboration take away The New Yorker.^[58] Fellow player Matthew McConaughey, who had co-starred with Shepard in Mud, cultured of Shepard's death during keen television interview and was surprised by the news, ending primacy interview saying: "See you ready money the next one, Sam."^[59]

Bibliography

Plays

Collections

Hawk Moon, Black Sparrow Press; ISBN&#;
Motel Chronicles, City Lights; ISBN&#;
Seven Plays, Dial Press, pages; ISBN&#;
Fool for Love professor Other Plays, Bantam Books, pages; ISBN&#;
The Unseen Hand: roost Other Plays, Vintage Books, pages; ISBN&#;
Cruising Paradise, Vintage Books, pages; ISBN&#;
Great Dream be advantageous to Heaven, Vintage Books, pages; ISBN&#;
Rolling Thunder Logbook, Da Capo Press, pages (reissue); ISBN&#;
Day Out of Days: Stories, Knopf, pages; ISBN&#;
Two Prospectors: Honesty Letters of Sam Shepard tell off Johnny Dark, University of Texas Press, pages; ISBN&#;

Novels

Filmography

Main article: Sam Shepard filmography

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Sam Shepard

References

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