RECOMMENDED
It’s probably the coziest set you’ll come across all year. For Apple Tree Theatre’s “Vincent in Brixton”—a fictional rendering of Vincent Van Gogh’s early years as a young art dealer in London—Keith Pitts has designed a nineteenth-century rooming-house kitchen paneled with warm saffron-hued walls and a constant fire in the wood-burning stove. But it is the smell of simmering food—a combination that brings to mind dumplings and spiced meat marinating in its own juices—that ultimately stays in your memory. It wafts through the theater during most of the first act, an olfactory seduction that is a prelude, of sorts, to a literal seduction between a sexually naïve van Gogh (the charming Christopher McLinden, with his serious eyes, pointy-soft features and tousled hair) and his much older landlady, Mrs. Loyer (Lisa Dodson in an earthy, complex performance). That van Gogh lived in such a boarding house is verifiable; the affair itself is pure conjecture on the part of playwright Nicholas Wright, who uses it as a way to explore the artist at his most optimistic—before the turpentine cocktails, before the mental institutions, before the ear. The lines don’t really connect—the van Gogh of the play is a little moody, but it’s not exactly clear how he eventually makes his way down the path to “The Café Terrace” or “Starry Night.” Then again, it doesn’t really matter. If anything, the story details the ways in which artists—or, in this case, budding artists—can make for passionate and ultimately disappointing lovers. And in this sense, director Kurt Johns has elicited some excellent performances from his five-member cast. (Nina Metz)
This production is now closed.
Related Stories
Impressive Arrival: A Review of Yerma at Theatre Y and Red Tape Theatre This co-production with Red Tape Theatre marks a mature and invigorating new phase for Theatre Y.- A Long Time Coming: A Review of Caroline, Or Change at Firebrand Theatre & TimeLine Theatre Company Firebrand Theatre and TimeLine Theatre Company co-produce this stirring revival with book and lyrics by Tony Kushner and music by Jeanine Tesori.
- Good History: A Review of A Home on the Lake at Piven Theatre Workshop and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre Piven Theatre Workshop and Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre co-produce this place-based world premiere about Evanston's racially-charged history.
- Them/Us/All: A Review of Self-Accusation at Theatre Y Beyond the window, the show is happening.
- Once Again And Better Than Ever: A Review of Once at Paramount Theatre The Tony Award-winning musical gets its regional premiere at Paramount Theatre in Aurora.
- Who Even Wants To Go Home Again: A Review of Kentucky at The Gift Theatre The local premiere of Leah Nanako Winkler's play is a busy and beautiful examination of small town life and the loneliness that breeds in its shadows.
