Sam Shepard

Personal Information
Sam Shepard had his first New York plays, Cowboys and Rock Garden, produced by Theatre Genesis in 1963. For several seasons, he worked with Off Off-Broadway theatre groups including La MaMa and Caffe Cino. Eleven of his plays have won Obie Awards including Chicago and Icarus's Mother (1965); Red Cross and La Turista (1966); Forensic and the Navigators and Melodrama Play (1967); The Tooth of Crime (1972); Action (1974); and Curse of the Starving Class (1976). Mr. Shepard was awarded a Pulitzer Prize as well as an Obie Award for his play Buried Child (1979). The critically-acclaimed production of True West, starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise opened in New York in 1984. Fool for Love (1982) received the Obie for Best Play as well as for Direction. A Lie of the Mind (1985) won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Play in 1986. States of Shock premiered at the American Place Theatre in 1991 and Simpatico transferred to the Royal Court Theatre after its premiere in 1994 at the New York Shakespeare Festival. A new play, When the World Was Green (A Chef's Fable), written with his long-time collaborator, Joseph Chaikin and commissioned by Seven Stages in Atlanta, premiered at the Olympic Arts Festival and opened in New York as part of the Signature Theatre Company season devoted to his work. A revised Buried Child under the direction of Gary Sinise opened on Broadway in April 1996 and won a Tony Award nomination. Mr. Shepard wrote the screenplays for Zabriski Point; Wim Wender's Paris, Texas; Robert Altman's Fool for Love, a film version of his play of the same title. As writer/director, Mr. Shepard filmed Far North and Silent Tongue in 1988 and 1992 respectively. As an actor he has appeared in Days of Heaven; The Right Stuff; Frances; Country; Baby Boom; Thunderheart; and Safe Passage among others. In 1986, Mr. Shepard was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 1992, he received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy and in 1994 he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.
 
Playwrights' Sidewalk: Sam Shepard has a star on the Playwrights' Sidewalk.
Credits

Author
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 Curse of the Starving Class Pershing Square Signature Center/ The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre 02/25/2025 Author
2 Curse of the Starving Class Pershing Square Signature Center/ Irene Diamond Stage 05/13/2019 Playwright
3 Buried Child Pershing Square Signature Center/ The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre 02/17/2016 Playwright
4 A Particle of Dread (Oedipus Variations) Pershing Square Signature Center/ The Alice Griffin Jewel Box Theatre 11/23/2014 Playwright
5 Heartless Pershing Square Signature Center/ Irene Diamond Stage 08/27/2012 Playwright
6 A Lie of the Mind Theatre Row / Theatre Three (previously Acorn Theater) 02/18/2010 Playwright
7 Ages of the Moon Linda Gross Theater 01/27/2010 Playwright
8 Kicking a Dead Horse Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall 07/14/2008 Playwright
9 God of Hell Westbeth Theatre 11/16/2004 Playwright
10 The Late Henry Moss Peter Norton Space 09/24/2001 Playwright
11 Eyes for Consuela New York City Center/ Stage II 02/10/1998 Playwright
12 Curse of the Starving Class Signature Theatre 04/27/1997 Playwright
13 The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill on the Eve of Killing His Wife / Killer's Head / Action Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Susan Stein Shiva Theater 02/09/1997 Playwright
14 Tooth of Crime (Second Dance) Lucille Lortel Theatre 12/23/1996 Playwright
15 When the World Was Green (A Chef's Fable) Signature Theatre 11/07/1996 Playwright
16 Chicago Signature Theatre 11/07/1996 Playwright
17 Simpatico Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Newman Theater 11/01/1994 Playwright
18 States of Shock American Place Theatre 04/30/1991 Playwright
19 The War in Heaven American Place Theatre 03/19/1991 Playwright
20 A Lie of the Mind Promenade Theatre 12/05/1985 Playwright
21 Curse of the Starving Class Promenade Theatre 07/30/1985 Playwright
22 Fool for Love Circle Repertory Theatre 05/26/1983 Playwright
23 True West Cherry Lane Theatre 10/17/1982 Playwright
24 The Unseen Hand La Mama E.T.C. 01/27/1982 Playwright
25 True West Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall 12/23/1980 Playwright
26 Tongues Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Susan Stein Shiva Theater 11/15/1979 Playwright
27 Tongues Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Susan Stein Shiva Theater 11/15/1979 Music
28 Buried Child Circle Theatre 06/20/1979 Playwright
29 Seduced American Place Theatre 02/02/1979 Playwright
30 Buried Child Lucille Lortel Theatre 12/05/1978 Playwright
31 Curse of the Starving Class Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Newman Theater 02/14/1978 Playwright
32 Angel City Playwrights Horizons 10/21/1977 Playwright
33 Killer's Head / Action American Place Theatre 04/04/1975 Playwright
34 Back Bog Beast Bait American Place Theatre 04/29/1971 Playwright
35 Terminal Washington Square Methodist Church 05/26/1970 Author
36 The Unseen Hand / Forensic and the Navigators Astor Place Theatre 04/01/1970 Playwright
37 Oh! Calcutta! Eden Theatre 06/17/1969 Material
38 Muzeeka / Red Cross1 Provincetown Playhouse 04/28/1968 Playwright
39 La Turista Theater at St. Clement's Church 03/04/1967 Playwright
40 6 From La Mama (Second Program) Martinique Theatre 04/12/1966 Playwright
41 Theatre 1965 New Playwrights Series: First Program Cherry Lane Theatre 02/10/1965 Playwright
1Writer of Red Cross.

Director
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 Kicking a Dead Horse Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Martinson Hall 07/14/2008 Director
2 Simpatico Joseph Papp Public Theater/ Newman Theater 11/01/1994 Director
3 A Lie of the Mind Promenade Theatre 12/05/1985 Director
4 Fool for Love Circle Repertory Theatre 05/26/1983 Director

Actor
Production Theatre Opened Credit
1 A Number New York Theatre Workshop 12/07/2004 Salter
Awards
Award Production Function
1 NOMINATED 2010 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Revival A Lie of the Mind Playwright
2 NOMINATED 2010 ITBA Patrick Lee Award, Outstanding Off-Broadway Revival A Lie of the Mind Playwright
3 WON 1997 NAAP Gradiva Award, Best New Play When the World Was Green (A Chef's Fable) Playwright
4 WON 1986 Drama Critics' Circle Award, Best Play A Lie of the Mind Playwright
5 WON 1986 Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Play A Lie of the Mind Playwright
6 WON 1984 Obie Award, Best New American Play Fool for Love Playwright
7 WON 1984 Obie Award, Direction Fool for Love Director
8 NOMINATED 1984 Pulitzer Prize, Drama Fool for Love Playwright
9 WON 1979 Obie Award, Playwriting Buried Child Playwright
10 WON 1979 Pulitzer Prize, Drama Buried Child Playwright
11 WON 1967 Obie Award, Distinguished Play La Turista Playwright