“The first moment I saw you, I knew I could love you if you could love me.” One of the first lines of “Savage/Love” embodies what the production is really about: a collection of deep, heartfelt monologues about the mutations of romantic love. This stream-of-consciousness concerto creation of theater legends Sam Shepard and Joseph Chaikin will be paired with “Tongues,” a similar piece by the pair, at the Woodstock Playhouse this month. The production, directed by Chris Silva, will feature acclaimed actors Estelle Parsons and David Strathairn, with percussion accompaniment by jazz great Jack DeJohnette.
“Tongues” and “Savage/Love” were first performed in 1978 at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco. The minimalist staging featured Shepard and Chaikin seated back to back, Chaikin voicing various poems, songs, and prose and Shepard on percussion. Silva, the executive director of the Bardavon and UPAC, was on hand at the creation of the work as then-director of the Eureka Theater, which he founded. “That production was over 40 years ago,” Silva says, “but I do remember that it was powerful and moving, and at the same time, ethereal and mysterious.”
Silva, the Eureka Theater founder and director, fell in love with Shepard’s work, and continued to collaborate with him on and off for 50 years. Considered the greatest playwright of his generation Shepard’s place in American theater, acting and writing plays—“True West,” “Fool for Love,” “Curse of the Starving Class”—that are poetic, bleak, and surreal, with a splash of dark comedy. The current production will be Silva’s unofficial and temporary return to directing.
The performers for this limited run of “Tongues” and “Savage/Love” are American cultural icons. David Strathairn has worked extensively in television, along with a successful string of supporting and leading roles across his 43-year career including an Academy Award nomination for Good Night and Good Luck. Jack DeJohnette is an innovative percussionist with a wide-ranging style, who’s worked with musical giants like John Coltrane, Miles David, and Herbie Hancock. Parson’s storied career as an actor and director includes an Academy Award for Bonnie and Clyde and five Tony Award nominations.
Parsons is really the reason this production is coming about. While Silva has a background in theater, he hasn’t directed a play in years. But he’s wanted the opportunity to work with Parsons as an actress for 20 years. “Working with Estelle as an actress, the timing, and the people involved motivated me to return,” Silva says. When he started searching for a piece, Silva’s mind naturally went to Shepard, recalling their history. “‘Tongues’ and ‘Savage/Love’ are very surreal pieces that look at romantic love in a very raw way,” says Silva. “It’s a good piece to show off Estelle’s incredible skills.”
This article appears in September 2023.
