“Buried Child,” Sam Shepard’s 1979 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, opened at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in Madison on Sept. 22.
The play opened with Dodge (Sherman Howard), who was stretched out on his couch smoking a cigarette while he watched television.
The room was dark, only lit by the light coming from the television that sat on the floor in front of him. In the background, rain poured, and you could hear the sound of it showering.
The theater really did an excellent job at bringing the Illinois farmhouse to life, as the audience is immediately placed into home of lower-class farmers.
Halie (Carol Halstead), yelled down to Dodge from upstairs, and the two began to conversate, but Halie was never on stage.
Throughout the conversation, Dodge pulled a hidden bottle of whiskey out from under the couch and snuck a few sips from it. Eventually, he started to cough hysterically and Halie yelled to him to take a pill. You can see multiple bottles of pills sitting next to Dodge and it is clear that he is unwell.
While the two continue to converse, it is revealed that one of their children, Ansel, was murdered years before by his Catholic wife on their wedding night.
It’s also revealed that their other son, Bradley (Roger Clark), has lost one of his legs. Apparently, he cut it off with a chainsaw. Dodge, who has been wearing a hat throughout the entirety of the first act, is upset with Halie because she continued to let Bradley in while he slept and cut his hair. The hat is to keep his scalp safe.
Halie finally entered the stage as she walked down the stairs saying she is leaving for church. She called to their third son, Tilden (Anthony Marble), and requested that he looks after his father while she is gone.
Tilden entered the stage with an armful of corn. Amazed, his two parents asked him where he has gotten all of him. Tilden claimed that he picked it from the field out back.
Dodge told him that nothing has grown out back in years, not since the Dust Bowl, and asked Tilden, once more, where he got the corn from. Tilden stuck to his story and claimed he picked it in the field out back.
Halie began to yell at Tilden and accused him of stealing from a neighbor’s yard. She brought up his past in New Mexico and says how he was kicked out of the state. She continued to say that if he didn’t start to make sure he kept out of trouble here, she would kick him out of their house. Tilden, clearly mentally unstable, began to shudder and became non-verbal.
Dodge defended Tilden to Hallie and told her that she should not have said that. Halie, now offended, left the house for church. Before she left, Halie demanded that Tilden stay out of the back field.
Dodge and Tilden began to talk to each other, while Tilden pulled up a bucket and a stool; he started to husk the corn.
Eventually, Dodge fell asleep and Tilden finished husking the corn. Tilden takes the husks from the corn and blankets Dodge’s body with them. He then stole the bottle of whiskey Dodge has been hiding and returned to the backyard.
Bradley entered the home and the first act closed with him shaving his father’s head, while he slept.
The second act began, and two new characters entered the Illinois farmhouse house. Vince (Paul Clark) and his girlfriend, Shelly (Andrea Morales). Through a conversation between the two, it is revealed that Vince is headed out to New Mexico to see his father, Tilden, but had decided to stop to see his grandparents.
After the two entered, Dodge woke up. Vince greeted his grandfather, but Dodge had no idea who Vince was. Vince, amazed that his own grandfather didn’t recognize him, became angry. Shelly began to think that the two have entered the wrong house. But Vince assured her that this was his grandfather.
Tilden now entered the stage, this time with a bundle of carrots in his arms. Vince, now confused to see his father here and not in New Mexico, tried to get his attention as well. Tilden, like Dodge, had no idea who Vince was.
Vince began to try different methods to remind his two paternal figures who he was. The two still do not recall. Shelly began to help Tilden peel the carrots.
Dodge reached down into the couch for his bottle of whiskey and realized it had disappeared. Tilden admitted to drinking it and Dodge began to become verbally hostile.
Dodge eventually convinced Vince to go into town to buy him more whiskey, and he is left alone with Shelly and Tilden.
Dodge sat on the couch and began to watch television again while Tilden and Shelly continued to peel carrots. Shelly began to ask Tilden more questions about Vince. He claimed he didn’t remember who he was, but he did look familiar.
Tilden eventually revealed that he had a son once with his mother, Halie. Shelly looked shocked, but Tilden continued to reveal that Dodge murdered their baby. Now, she looked terrified.
As Tilden told the story of his murdered child of incest, Dodge began to yell at Tilden for revealing their family secret. He began to make his way over to the other side of the room where Tilden and Shelly sat, and started to cough hysterically once more. Dodge eventually collapses onto the floor, just before he can make it over to the two.
Just then, Bradley, Tilden’s brother, reentered the stage. He started to question the two and ultimately scared Tilden out of the room.
Now, just Bradley and Shelly in the room, he started to harass her. He forced his hand inside of her mouth and essentially showed her that he was in control. She cowered to one side of the room and the second act closes with Bradley placing Shelly’s coat on top of Dodge’s unconscious body.
“Buried Child,” continues at The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, 36 Madison Avenue, Madison, through Oct. 7. For tickets and information, go to www.shakespearenj.org; 973-408-5600.