Buried Child

53/100

Photo by Monique Carboni
Written by Sam Shepard; Directed by Scott Elliott. At The New Group through March 27.


With large praise for Ed Harris and Amy Madigan, but mixed reception for the rest of the production, the consensus here appears to be that Sam Shepherd's once revolutionary Buried Child seems to have aged poorly. The living room drama turn on its head appears to no longer shock and awe like it once did, instead feeling rather heavy-handed. Critics seem evenly divided on the style of the production, which aims for a kind of dramatic naturalism. Some find this style to help bring the play into reality while others say that it merely becalms what should be an evening of nonstop intensity. The supporting members of the cast are roundly criticized for their uncertain performances and while some critics remain staunchly positive, this production definitely seems to not be the must-see production many were hoping for.





am New York 75/100
(Matt Windman) "The production’s intimacy, intense physicality and seamless flow keep it vivid and visceral, even when the dialogue gets slow or confounding twists pop up."

New York Daily News 70/100
(Joe Dziemianowicz) "Cast against type by director Scott Elliott, “Mad Man” alum Sommer effectively taps his dark side as Bradley. Sparks, as always, is magnetic. Madigan and Farmiga need to dig deeper to make their characters less one-note. “Buried Child” isn’t exactly subtle but it still grabs and sends shivers.:

The Wrap 67/100
(Robert Hofler) "Under Scott Elliott’s otherwise flawless direction, “Buried Child” could use an intermission after Shelly’s violation instead of being performed straight through. The other much larger problem is Farmiga’s performance, which doesn’t make the transition to the play’s second half"

The New York Times 55/100
(Ben Brantley) "It wants us to listen to Mr. Shepard’s characters as if they truly were members of our own family, so that (just like our own family) they can sucker-punch us when we feel most unguarded. But it lacks the crackling, macabre glee of Steppenwolf’s 1996 Broadway production, and the breathlessly sustained tension of Daniel Aukin’s fiery revival of Mr. Shepard’s “Fool for Love” on Broadway earlier this season. And it muffles its climactic shocks."

Variety 50/100
(Marilyn Stasio) "Shepard’s idiosyncratic style is not for the faint of heart, as this tentative production illustrates. In general, the actor seem all too aware that they’re acting in a seminal 20th century work about the collapse of an agrarian economy, the breakdown of the family and the death of the American Dream."

Newsday 45/100
(Linda Winer) "Shepard says he wanted the play “to destroy the idea of the American family drama.” “Buried Child” still has the power to do that, but it needs a sharper, heavier mallet than it gets here."

The Hollywood Reporter 40/100
(Frank Scheck) "But for Buried Child to have the desired impact, it must be presented with a bracing theatricality that this tame production never musters. Director Scott Elliott gives the work a naturalistic treatment that only emphasizes its strained aspects, failing to make even the horrifying final image register with much force."

Vulture 25/100
"The ancient story of paternal rivalry (and maternal taboo) is baked into the plot. Unfortunately, and despite two excellent performances, neither story seems terribly urgent in the New Group’s limp revival at the Signature Center."