Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

(From the Oct. 24, 2008 edition of the Inland Register)

Right: Ashley Newberry is a member of the cast of Gonzaga University’s production of Sam Shepard’s Curse of the Starving Class, opening Oct. 24, directed by Jesuit Father Kevin Connell. (IR photo courtesy of Gonzaga University)

Gonzaga University’s Theatre Arts Department opens 2008-09 season with the modern American classic Curse of the Starving Class.

Sam Shepard’s Obie-award winning black comedy, appropriate for audiences of high school age and older, tells the story of a blue-collar family trying furiously to escape the “curse” of alcohol, fate, lost hope, and disastrous economic judgments in their attempt to seize the “American Dream.”

Directed by Jesuit Father Kevin Connell, Curse of the Starving Class is filled with laughter amid poignant reminders of the perilous state of home ownership and other American dreams during a time when over 90,000 homes slipped into foreclosure last month alone. The play filled with grim comic insight into the American family, aching for the elusive American Dream, bitter betrayals, and raucous laughs.

Opening night is Friday, Oct. 24, at 7:30p.m. in the newly remodeled Harry and Colleen Magnuson Theatre (formerly Russell Theatre), located in the east end of College Hall. Shows continue Oct. 25, 30, and Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 25 and Nov. 2 at 2 p.m.

Tickets can be reserved from the box office at 509-313-6553. Ticket prices are $8 for students, $10 for faculty and staff, and $12 for adults.