FringeNYC 2013: This is a Play About Artists
THIS IS A PLAY ABOUT ARTISTS plunges the audience between two ex-lovers as they use art to relive and explore their tragic love affair. The journey is an absurdly funny, unexpectedly charming battle of inspiration, lust and identity.
Official production websiteShow details/ticketing at FringeNYC
Review by Maura Kelley · August 9, 2013
The title, This is a Play About Artists, might throw you, because this play is about relationships. It centers on “Narrator”, a performance artist played by the multi-talented Ginger Kearns. She is in the throes of a painful break-up from “Poet”, Michael Kingsbaker. “Painter”, played by professional Illustrator A.E. Kieren and “Musician”, Shane La Rue, a musician/composer completes the cast. You may notice that everyone is an artist of some sort. One highlight was Kieren’s live-action mural painting performed throughout the duration of the show. My friend quickly whispered while watching him paint,” He’s good!”
The play has a plethora of elements and styles: absurdity, flashback scenes, real-time scenes, poetry, music and video. You may find that following an emotionally harrowing scene you’re surprised with human puppets or the journey of a snail. I would call the structure of the play similar to “a play within in a play”, however, this show is more like “a performance art piece within a performance art piece”. The commitment, the acting and emotional connection between Kearns and Kingsbaker is the glue that holds this show together and makes it interesting. There is a strong sense of history between the pair. You completely “buy” that these two had a past relationship and are currently still hurting from the break-up. Kearns, who is also the writer, goes deep beneath the layers and adeptly jumps back and forward in time to varying degrees of emotion. The writing is strong because the story is strong. The language is poetic and heightened in some instances and funny and stupid (in a good way) in the next.
Nicole Rosner, the director keeps the show moving forward but slows down enough to allow the tender moments to land. I imagine working on this piece would have to be an extremely collaborative process. The hard and specific work by all is evident.
You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy this show. If you’re currently trying to get over a break up, you might learn something.
Preview: Interviews with Artists from This is a Play About Artists
We're asking artists from each show to answer questions about themselves and their work to help our readers get a detailed advance picture of the festival:
Theater Beats Movies · Ginger_Kearns (Writer)
- Why is this a play (as opposed to a TV script, webseries, film, etc.?)
I wanted to explore different mediums of art. Because so much of the play is done live or through multi-media, it would have been impossible to capture it's spirit through film alone. For example, one of the characters live paints the set throughout the piece. You can't capture the beauty and skill of that on screen. - Which cartoon character would most like this show – Bugs Bunny, Marge Simpson, Charlie Brown, or Casper the Friendly Ghost?
Daria. She would love the references I make about female poets Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath. I sort of poke fun at them, with the upmost respect of course. - How have you been surprised by the audience response to any of your plays?
I was surprised at how many women were affected by the piece. Creativity, relationships, identity, and the loss of those things seemed to resonate with a lot of people. My audience inspired me and I used a lot of the information I received in re-writes for the show. - Are there filmic elements in this play (e.g., video, projections, montages, quick fades, etc.)?
Yes. We do a live screen test in real time as a Warhol parody. The show also includes a black and white short film that is my homage to bad student films. It's beautiful. - Why should audiences see live theater instead of just watching videos on the internet?
Every show is a little bit different and therefore a little bit special. You have to treasure the memory of a live show because you take it with you. Also, there's more room for error and that's where the fun comes in!
All About My Show · Michael Kingsbaker (Actor)
- Complete this sentence: My show is the only one in FringeNYC that...?
will combine poetry, live painting, live music,a live film, an art house film, a live storm, and debate about Andy Warhol that may get a little messy. - Tell us about the character or characters that you portray in this show.
I play Poet. He's the Narrator's ex-lover returned uninvited to try and help her see why her artwork has suffered. He believes all good art happens strictly in the present and everything else is nostalgic or frivolous. He likes things raw and off the cuff, but may be holding on to a few things himself. - What moment or section in this show do you really love to perform? Without giving away surprises, what happens in that moment and why do you love it?
This play is filled with so much fun, its truly hard to pick one but We have a debate about Andy Warhol and his contributions to the art world which transitions into this very intimate moment using a live feed video on stage. I love this moment, Ginger and I really get to connect, and then of course it switches on a dime soon after. - Which school or system of acting has been most useful to you in your career, and why (examples: The Method, Uta Hagen, Viewpoints, etc.)?
I tend to like to have as big of a tool belt as possible because I have found different approaches useful and not at certain moments in my career. So when one thing isn't working, its nice to pull something else out to shake it up a bit. With that, any time I'm really trusting my emotional reservoir and am just focused on listening and reacting honestly, I find my work to be more surprising, honest, and alive. - What's your favorite pastime when you’re not working on a play?
I like to shoot photography. I love shooting live music, and real moments in life. I shoot headshots as well. www.feathertreephotography.com
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