Angel City

by Sam Shepard

Brings together three new plays, one new short play, and four other short plays by the young American playwright, presenting a congeries of characters engaged in feverish quests and visionary searches

Genres: Plays

245 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Sam Shepard was an American artist who worked as an award-winning playwright, writer and actor. His many written works are known for being frank and often absurd, as well as for having an authentic sense of the style and sensibility of the gritty modern American west. He was an actor of the stage and motion pictures; a director of stage and film; author of several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs; and a musician.

Reviews

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize until today just much Shepard I've read how much I love his writing.

[David Brimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beguiling, yet fascinating treatise on the evil’s of Hollywood. Is it obscure and outright weird, yes? But beneath that is a message worth hearing.

[Angelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam Shepard is an incredible playwright. Of course, it took me some time to get into Angel City. And I think Curse of the Starving Class is his strongest in a lot of ways, because it's the one most 'like a normal play'. His ideas are eloquently expressed through absurd and disjunctive narrative. But as soon as I would start another play, it wouldn't take long to get and understand the character and blitz through the play. I love how he uses the same themes (heat, California, cowboys, hunger), but you wouldn't necessarily know it was him again (unlike John Irving's reaccuring themes, how his books feel like one giant book). I would love to see some of these done, especially Angel City, action, The Mad Dog Blues and Cowboys #2.

[Eric Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biographical poem about Sam Shepard by Patti Smith which is included in Shepard’s Curse of the Starving class changed my life in a way, though it is a little exaggerated by being overly descriptive in places to maintain its unfolding uniqueness of perspective. But despite the random moments of literary stagnation, Nine Random Years (7+2) is one of the greatest poems written in the twentieth century. Patti Smith is a master of matching ideas with images and commands words to match her unfolding thoughts in her own articulate voice. Among my top five favorite poems ever.

[James Binz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved all of these plays as a college student, but I see the fragmentation and weirdness now and wonder what the inner landscape really was? Still a pleasure to read and to see - BUT a big drop from where I used to think he was. Age maybe?

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

آثار سام شپارد به نمایش نامه ها و داستان های کوتاهش محدود نمی شوند. او در زمینه ی موسیقی جاز و پاپ هم کار کرده و برخی از سروده هایش برای خوانندگان صاحب نام، مشهور است. سام شپارد بازیگر سینما و تیاتر هم هست و در برخی از فیلم ها همچون "فرانسیس" یا "دیگه نیا دم در" (ویم وندرس) با همسرش "جسیکا لنگ" همبازی بوده است. سام شپارد هم چنین نقد تیاتر و سینما هم می نویسد و برخی از نقدهایش در مجلات مشهور انگلیسی زبان منتشر می شوند.

[Eric Inman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam Shepard is a great playwright. This collection of plays expresses not only his talent, but also his humanity. To me, all of his plays convey relevant insights and clear thoughts. Good stuff. Also, Patti Smith wrote a poem about him entitled "Sam Shepard: 9 Random Years(7 +2)" which appears on the back pages of Angel City. My favorite poem of all time.

[Sarie Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I actually only read 'Curse of the Starving Class.' The play was good. It had all the making of a great story, and the ending was simply sad.