Curse of the Starving Class

This Obie Award winning play tells the hilarious but tragic story of the Tate family, California avocado farmers who have fallen on hard times. Ella, the shiftless, distracted mother has arranged to sell the family’s house without consulting her belligerent alcoholic husband, Weston. Their children–precocious and fiercely intelligent Emma, and sullen, contemplative Wesley–are caught in the middle of their parents’ battle for control. What emerges is a riotously funny and deeply moving exploration of family dynamics. The Tates discover how heredity–the explosive characteristics of the family line in their own blood–will lead to their destruction.
Box office opens 1 hour before performances.
A classroom presentation produced by the Columbia University School of the Arts Theatre Division in association with The Alternate Theatre.