Pulitzer Prize for Drama
1 appearances
-
Edition 51 (1979) Winner
Sam Shepard
サム・シェパード
Sam Shepard
Pen Names:
Samuel Shepard Rogers III（Birth name; used professionally as "Sam Shepard"）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1943-11-05 （Fort Sheridan, Illinois, U.S.）
- Died
- 2017-07-27 （Midway, Kentucky, U.S.） age 73
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Southern California (grew up) → New York City (early career) → London (mid career) → Mill Valley, California (Flying Y Ranch) → Midway, Kentucky (later life)
Career
- Occupations
- playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, author, musician
- Active Years
- 1963-2017
- Affiliations
- Magic Theatre (San Francisco) — playwright-in-residence, American Academy of Arts and Letters (member), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (fellow)
- Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (member), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (fellow)
- Influenced By
- Samuel Beckett, Joseph Chaikin, Jazz / Abstract expressionism (art)
- Influenced
- A generation of contemporary American playwrights, Actors and writer-directors influenced by his work
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. San Antonio College | Studied animal husbandry (briefly) | — | — | 1961頃（中途退学） | United States |
Mt. San Antonio College
Studied animal husbandry (briefly)
Period:
1961頃（中途退学）
Country:
United States
Dropped out to join a touring repertory company
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | Pulitzer Prize for Drama | Buried Child | — | Pulitzer Prize Board | Winner |
| 1984 | Obie Award | Multiple works (1966–1984) | — | The Village Voice (Obie Awards) | Winner (計10回受賞) |
| — | PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award | — | — | PEN America | Winner |
| — | Drama Desk Award | — | — | Drama Desk | Winner |
| 1984 | Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) nomination | The Right Stuff | — | Academy Awards (AMPAS) | Nominee |
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
1979
Work:
Buried Child
Organization:
Pulitzer Prize Board
Result:
Winner
Obie Award
1984
Work:
Multiple works (1966–1984)
Organization:
The Village Voice (Obie Awards)
Result:
Winner (計10回受賞)
PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
Winner
Drama Desk Award
Organization:
Drama Desk
Result:
Winner
Academy Award (Best Supporting Actor) nomination
1984
Work:
The Right Stuff
Organization:
Academy Awards (AMPAS)
Result:
Nominee
Awards & Nominations
American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal (Drama)
1 appearances
-
Edition 11 (1992) Winner
Works
Major Works
Buried Child
1978 Play (Drama)A play about a dysfunctional family in the American Midwest; buried secrets and disillusionment reveal the collapse of the American dream.
family dysfunctioncollapse of the American dreammemory and secrecy
True West
1980 PlayThrough the conflict of two brothers, the play examines American identity, violence, and vanity with elements of black comedy.
brotherhoodvanity and identityviolence
Fool for Love
1983 PlayA tense reunion of lovers whose past wounds and obsessions come to the fore; a highly charged psychological drama.
love and obsessionpast traumafamily curses
Adaptations
- [Film] Fool for Love / ロバート・アルトマン / Robert Altman (1985)
Bibliography
- Major plays and collections (e.g. Buried Child, True West, Fool for Love, etc.)
- Short story and essay collections (Motel Chronicles, Day Out of Days, etc.)
- Novels (The One Inside, Spy of the First Person, etc.)
Adaptations
- Fool for Love (1985, dir. Robert Altman)
- Film appearance: The Right Stuff (1983, as Chuck Yeager)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Poetic, fragmentary style with surreal elementsBlend of black comedy and realism
- Recurring Motifs
- family breakdownMidwestern American landscapealcohol and addictionmemory and past trauma
Health
-
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)不明–2017（2017年に合併症で死去）Health declined in later years affecting creative work and public activity; some final works were completed or released while his condition progressed.
Legacy
Sam Shepard was a leading American playwright of the late 20th century, acclaimed for works probing family, identity, and the darker aspects of American society. His Pulitzer Prize and record Obie awards cement his status as a defining figure of his generation.
Museums
- Wittliff Collections (holds Sam Shepard papers) Texas State University (Wittliff Collections)
- Harry Ransom Center (holds Sam Shepard papers) University of Texas at Austin
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Archives
- Wittliff Collections (Texas State University) — Sam Shepard papers
- Harry Ransom Center (University of Texas at Austin) — Sam Shepard papers
In Popular Culture
- Collaborations with Bob Dylan and film appearances (e.g. The Right Stuff) made him known across literature, music and film.
Quotes
-
"He was the greatest American playwright of his generation."
Source: New York magazine (1984)
Trivia
- He played drums with the band The Holy Modal Rounders in his youth.
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Buried Child (1979).
- Holds a record ten Obie Awards.
- Had a fear of flying but flew with Chuck Yeager while preparing for The Right Stuff.