The 1996 production of Buried Child was very successful in putting Sam Shepard’s script into action. The production did a very veritable job of following and expressing Shepard’s cues in writing and the implicit motifs. One of Shepard’s goals was to show an intensely flawed American family and his play script and the production demonstrated this very lucidly. One motif observed throughout the play is disillusionment. We see this with how Dodge and Halie two sons have never stood up to their expectations, how Dodge was a farmer but he hasn’t been a successful one for decades, also Hallie’s disappointment over Ansel and what he could have been if he had not died. We understand that this family has a weak economic situation and this is portrayed well by the set and props of the production. We see a bland worn down house and props such as a damaged TV, we see Dodge’s blanket had holes in it and they clearly did not have much furniture. Disappointment is considered a very negative mood, in this play Shepard creates a dull and/or wearisome mood. This is portrayed in the production by the dreary lighting and the way their characters speak. For example when in the beginning when Dodge speaks to his wife he coughs or smokes and we can easily tell that it is draining him to scream in reply to her constant yelling. We also notice some irony here how Halie keeps yelling from upstairs for Dodge to take his pills which will reduce his coughing, but she is making him yell and strain himself which is making the coughing worse. She clearly has the option of coming downstairs and speaking to him so he doesn’t have to exhaust his health even further, but she doesn’t. The theme of a dysfunctional family is also portrayed in the play and production. The relationships in this family are frustrating and not at all ideal. We clearly see the weak relationship between Dodge and Halie from the beginning, then we see the relationship between Tilden and Dodge is also strained as Dodge wishes that his son would support himself and not depend on him. Also traditionally Dodge is expected to make the money in the house, or at least his grown children, but neither seem to step up. Dodge is sick and does not do anything to support his family and the last time he farmed anythings was decades ago. The production made him seem depressed by showing drinking and smoking and just generally doing nothing, he seems to realize his failures with his family and their economic situation. The other relationships between the family members are also abnormal as there are many secrets are hidden in this unorthodox family dynamic. There is a lot of anger and stress in these relationships and is clearly expressed in their dialogues, as many of the conversations involve yelling. Overall the production effectively encapsulated everything that Shepard’s play intended to get across and reflected on Shephard’s themes of disillusionment and nontraditional family dynamics.
