The Tooth of Crime

Infobox Musical
name= The Tooth of Crime


caption=
music= Sam Shepard
T-Bone Burnett
lyrics= Sam Shepard
T-Bone Burnett
book= Sam Shepard
basis=
productions= 1972 West End
awards=

"The Tooth of Crime" is a musical play written by Sam Shepard which made its premiere in London's Open Space theater on July 17,1972. It tells the story of aging rock singer Hoss doing battle with rival Crow.

Plot

The play is set in a vaguely described science fiction future dominated by "The Game," a conflation of rock music and violence played by "Markers" under the direction of "The Keepers." Hoss has struggled to become the top Marker, only to find himself doubting his own abilities in the face of opposition from "Gypsies" who operate outside of the official rules.

Act 1:Eager to make an outing, Hoss is frustrated when the Star-Man advises him against it on the basis of his astrology. Hoss learns that his rival, Mojo Root Force, has encroached upon his territory in Las Vegas in a move of questionable legality. After getting word that a Gypsie from Vegas is on his way to attack him, Hoss calls an old friend, Little Willard, for backup, only to find that Willard has committed suicide due to his inability to cope with his status. These successive revelations exacerbate Hoss's self-doubt and his belief that the old way is dying, and he attempts to perk up his confidence by challenging the Gypsie to a shiv fight.

Act II: Before the dual (which has been changed from a shiv fight to battle of words under the guidance of an official referee) Hoss and Crow attempt to psych each other out. While Crow learns to imitate Hoss's walk and style, Hoss intimidates Crow by taking on the voice of an old Western gunslinger. Despite an ostensibly effective second round in which he takes on the voice of a Delta bluesman, Hoss loses the battle when Crow exposes Hoss's "Fear that he's crackin' busted in two." [Shepard 241] After killing the Ref, a desperate Hoss begs Crow to teach him the new style. Ultimately, however, he decides to commit his last authentic act by killing himself, for which Crow commends him. The play ends with Crow assuming his place on Hoss' throne, with Becky quickly shifting her loyalty.

Characters

Hoss - The world's top Marker, he is worried that the younger Gypsies are aiming to usurp his position. He often takes on the dialects of past myths, such as a Western gunfighter, a 1920's gangster, and a Delta blues singer. He resembles "a mean Rip Torn." [Shepard 203]
Crow - An upstart Gypsie Marker seeking to dethrone Hoss. He constantly speaks in a stylish, newfangled dialect. He is described as looking like The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.
Becky Lou - Hoss's girlfriend/manager.
Star-Man - An astrologer who advises Hoss.
Galactic Jack - A disc jockey who advises Hoss by looking in the charts. He dresses like a pimp and speaks like Wolfman Jack.
Cheyenne Hoss's driver and friend.
Doc Hoss's drug supplier/physician.
A Referee

Production History

"The Tooth of Crime" was first performed at the Open Space, London on July 17, 1972. The cast included:
Hoss - Malcolm Storry
Becky Lou - Petronella Ford
Star-Man - Michael Weller
Galactic Jack - Tony Milner
Cheyenne - Tony Sibbalt
Doc - John Grillo
Crow - Dave Schofield
Directed by Charles Marowitz. [Shepard, 202]

Shepard originally wrote the music for the play, which was performed by a group called Blunderbuss. In 1997, unhappy with the production as originally written, Shepard rewrote and updated the play as "" and the score was rewritten by T-Bone Burnett.

Text

*Cite book |last=Shepard |first=Sam |title=Seven Plays |publisher=Bantam |location=New York |date=1984

References

*citation |last=Mustazza |first=Leonard |title="In the Old Style": The Tragic Vision in Sam Shepard's "The Tooth of Crime" |periodical=Text and Performance Quarterly |publication-date=1989 |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=277-285
*Gilman, Richard. (1984) Introduction. "Seven Plays" by Sam Shepard. New York: Bantam.

Notes