Fans of Westerns have revered Shane, both the book by Jack Schaefer and the 1953 film, for generations. And now, new fans can enjoy a highly original stage adaptation by Karen Zacarias at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
This riveting script, ably directed by Blake Robison, maintains all that is serious and wise in the book and film, but adds layers of revelations about the background of the characters.
First of all, Shane is a Black gunslinger and cowboy, looking for a way to live freely and never again use his gun. He’s a good person forced into a life of violence. When he shows up at the homestead of Joe and Marian Starrett and their young son Bobby, the Starretts treat him like family. They have Latino ties, and Shane surprises them with his knowledge of Spanish, learned from his mother.
Joe Starrett is honest and generous, and he and Shane, although not alike, are brotherly. From them we learn how to be a decent man. They are both role models for Bobby, who idealizes them. And Bobby’s mother learns she can love two men in different ways.
As fate would have it, Shane has arrived not only to help Joe with his farm work, but to protect his property from a violent assault by a rich cattleman. This compelling rendition of the classic Western plot hints at Greek tragedy.
Chris Butler as Shane is spellbinding. He has solid backing from Armando McClain as Joe, Daniel Molina as a grownup Bobbie remembering his childhood, and Gabriela Fernandez-Coffee as Marian. This authentic view of the old west, where Black cowboys were prevalent, is unforgettable.
