La Turista is a play by the American playwright Sam Shepard, first performed at American Place Theatre, New York City in 1967, directed by Jacques Levy. The title refers to the most common illness among tourists. The two main characters are Salem and Kent, which are also the names of brands of cigarettes. It is a two-act dramatic play. The first act takes place in Mexico, and the second in the United States. Some see this play as a reference to the Vietnam War.
Production history La Turista was first performed at the American Place Theatre in New York City, on March 4, 1967. The cast was as follows:
Salem – Joyce Aaron Kent – Sam Waterston Boy/Sonny – Lawrence Block Doctor/Doc – Michael Lombard Son – Joel Novack Directed by: Jacques Levy
Reception Reviewing a 1981 Boston production, critic Alan Stern wrote that "La Turista has no discernible theme...Shepard uses free association and non sequiturs for their own sake. Instead of soaring to the outer reaches of the imagination, his speeches are mired in so much logorrhea."
References
Further reading
External links
The New York Review of Books: CRITICS La Turista at the Internet Off-Broadway Database