The stage is populated not only by the artist but also by the dead teacher, the teacher's daughter (and artist's gf), Van Gogh himself, his doctor, Van Gogh's would-be model Marguerite, and the entrepeneur who approaches Patrick with this plan. And by Gauguin. There are more ghosts than live persons, a situation Patrick does realize. Against his will he gets to know Van Gogh and starts to create the painting, discovering more about himself than about Van Gogh. As Van Gogh says, "Every portrait is a self-portrait".
So many words! The play is almost two hours long, not including the intermission, and like most of the plays I like, it is heavy with words. Words that I wouild have to hear again to grasp fully, that are an art history in a conversation. I liked the actor who played Patrick and I especially liked a guy named Ed Cortez, who played the double role of Rene, the crook who offers money to Patrick to create the fake, and Gauguin. The actor is short and round and both his looks and his manner reminded me of Danny DeVito. There is one scene in particular where he, as Gauguin, goes on about the women on his islands and it is just hilarious.
The crowd was small, as I expected. Not many people will come out to these "heavy" talky plays. It's really too bad. A lot of people would like it if they just tried it, but they won't. As for me, I felt sated, as after a large and agreeable meal. Much to think about, to savor, to enjoy again in my mind.
