Theatre Arts program presents Sam Shepard’s Fool for Love

MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray State University Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts is pleased to present Fool for Love, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Feb. 26-28, at 7:30 p.m.; and on Sunday, March 1, at 2:30 p.m. 

All performances will take place in the third-floor studio theatre of Wilson Hall on the campus of Murray State University. General admission is $10 per person. Tickets can be reserved at murraystate.edu/theatretickets, or by calling 270-809-4421 for more information. Murray State students get in free with ID. 

Written in 1983 by acclaimed American playwright Sam Shepard (1943-2017), Fool for Love explores the intense and destructive relationship between two former lovers, Eddie and May. Set in a seedy motel room in the Mojave Desert, the story unfolds as they grapple with their shared past, deep-seated traumas and an inescapable, almost mythical connection. Their volatile dynamic is further complicated by the presence of The Old Man, who serves as a ghostly figure from their past, and a new suitor of May’s, who stumbles into their emotional battlefield. The play blends realism with surrealism, delving into themes of love, obsession and the cyclical nature of dysfunctional relationships. 

Sam Shepard's other award-winning plays include True West, A Lie of the Mind and Buried Child, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1979. In 1986, Shepard was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received the Gold Medal for Drama from the Academy in 1992. He was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame two years later. As an actor, he appeared in numerous films, including The Right Stuff,  Steel Magnolias and August: Osage County. He was a longtime resident of Midway, Kentucky, where he raised livestock and bred horses on Totier Creek Farm, and was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame in 2020.

The Murray State production is directed by David Balthrop, professor of theatre arts. 

“Fool for Love is a rough and tumble play about a cowboy and his half-sister coming to terms with their relationship,” said Balthrop. Sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, the play definitely takes the audience on a bull ride. The actors and crew members for this show are very strong. The show grapples with adult themes, but the cast has approached them with seriousness and thoughtfulness. They come to rehearsals prepared and ready to work.  Their work ethic is very strong and I'm so pleased to be directing this team of students."

The cast of Fool for Love includes Madeline Hendrickson, a sophomore psychology major and theatre performance minor from Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Tanner Maxwell, a senior business administration major and theatre performance minor from Elizabethtown, Kentucky; Logan Range, a junior theatre/film major and psychology minor from Paducah, Kentucky; and Develin Reese Strader, a freshman theatre/film major and dance & movement minor from Greenville, Kentucky. 

Samantha Brannigan, a senior theatre major and fine art photography minor from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, serves as assistant director. Rain Harris, a freshman theatre/film major from Murray, Kentucky, serves as stage manager for the production.

Develin Strader, who performs the role of The Old Man, says the show is an investigation of complicated family dynamics, particularly the cycles of behavior individuals often find themselves stuck in. 

“I hope the audience really gets lost in the world of the play, because it can feel really familiar at times,” said Strader. “There are many moments that will resonate deeply with people – at least they did with me. In between the moments of comedy and absurdity, there's a lot of truth. It can feel a bit raw at times. Performing the show in the Wilson Studio Theatre, which is a more intimate setting, definitely drives the feeling home.

“I haven't performed in a show for some time leading into Fool For Love, so it definitely feels like I'm knocking the dust off a bit. It feels good to know that I can still be involved in theatre, but I am especially grateful to be accepted as an actor. Sometimes I feel more like myself when I'm pretending to be someone else, you know? You always learn a little something.”

For Madeline Hendrickson, performing on stage is now a life-long pursuit.

“I’ve been in two other productions so far at Murray State,” Hendrickson said. “I knew from high school that I wanted to continue doing theatre in college,  so when I first auditioned and was cast and got to experience a more professional setting with such talented, passionate and awesome people, I knew I wanted to do this for my minor and for the rest of my life.”

The Department of Global Languages and Theatre Arts will round out its performance season with the musical Cry-Baby by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan on April 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. and April 26 at 2:30 p.m. in the Robert E. Johnson Theatre.

To learn more about Murray State’s theatre arts program, call 270-809-4421 or visit murraystate.edu/theatre.