• Investigate the various processes through which plays transition from being written to being staged in the United States. Explore who the playwrights are, the different genres of plays that exist, and the concept of community theatre. What defines regional theatre? What does the term "Broadway play" signify? How do Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway differ? Who finances each type of play production?

• Organize into groups as a class, with each group taking charge of directing a section from one of the acts of Curse of the Starving Class. Pay close attention to the provided property list and gather those items. Dress the characters according to Shepard's specifications. While observing the play, consider alternative ways the groups might have directed the scenes and how those choices could alter the interpretation of the play.

• The historical evolution of southern California—from a hostile environment to a farming paradise and eventually to suburbia—parallels the broader history of the United States, and Curse of the Starving Class references many aspects of that history. Research the history of Los Angeles and its surrounding suburbs, focusing on how irrigation transformed the desert into fertile land and how this agricultural development attracted migrants from the American South, Southwest, and Mexico.

• Sam Shepard is known not only as a playwright and screenwriter but also as a distinguished actor. Watch some of his films (good options include Days of Heaven, Country, and The Right Stuff) and compare their themes to those in Curse of the Starving Class.