02 Aug Matthew McConaughey Stunned By News Of Co-Star’s Death On The Red Carpet

Yesterday was a sad day for anyone with a love of theatre, literature or the performing arts. Sam Shepard, one of the veterans of 20th century high-intellectualism passed away at the age of 73.

Whilst the Pulitzer prize-winning playwright may be best known for Chicago, which he penned in his early-twenties, he remains a hulking figure in the critique of modern-day America – specifically, in his analysis of the breakdown of the American nuclear family unit.

Blessed with a disarmingly handsome face, Shepherd also distinguished himself as an exemplary actor, screenwriter and director.

His biggest gift to the world, however, was his near 50 plays. In every piece of work, Shepherd was committed to creating new dialogues to explore our society’s conception of “tradition”. His razor-sharp prose often explored the binaries between past and present, progress and stagnation, as well as the relationships between parental figures and their charges. One need only look at his 1978 Pulitzer prize-winner, Buried Child to understand his stance on how the so-called American Dream disillusioned vast swathes of the population. Certainly, in a world plagued by economic slowdown and the ascension of Donald Trump to president, his withering critique of such edifices is as resonant as ever.

Sam Shepard died yesterday following complications from the motor neurone disease ALS. And his passing sent shockwaves around Hollywood. The actor Matthew McConaughey was captured holding back tears after being informed of the playwright’s death whilst on the red carpet.

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