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Apr. 18--Art strives to make you see yourself or your world in a new light that illuminates a deeper understanding.
Like Manet's barmaid in a mirrored reflection of her own mirrored reflection, Michael McKeever's The Impressionists does precisely that for artists themselves.
Few productions so completely capture the rapture of creativity as the Caldwell Theatre's world premiere of this vivid portrait honoring courageous self-expression.
McKeever's subject is the confluence of young rebels in 19th century Paris, drawn together by a revolutionary vision of color, movement and light trumping traditional constructs of line and form. The playwright re-creates these individualists banding in a fractious fraternity, supporting, squabbling, goading, competing, learning from each other.
Depicting a moment in time, the show has no discernible storyline or character development other than one woman's emerging feminism. As a result, the evening never coalesces into a satisfying dramatic arc for the audience.
But McKeever's lyricism and the cast's enthusiasm under Michael Hall's direction are so infectiously passionate that anyone with a spark of creativity will be thrilled.
Monet exults to Renoir: "Don't just paint a tree. Paint the way the setting sun reflects across its leaves. Paint the amber glow of its bark as the first light of day touches its surface. ... The work we are doing now is just the beginning. We are going to create work that challenges."
Besides Monet (the incandescent Terrell Hardcastle) and Renoir (Bruce Linser, radiating joyous inspiration), the sextet encompasses Pissarro (George Kapetan), the family man struggling to make ends meet; Degas (Tim Burke), the pessimist railing against the injustice of the art establishment; Manet (Eric Martin Brown), who strives to stay true to his vision, and Morisot (Deanna Henson), the nascent feminist using art to escape societal boundaries.
McKeever's second triumph is transforming icons of art appreciation class into flawed human beings awash in dreams and failures. If only he had delved even deeper into their psyches; he labors, only somewhat successfully, to avoid the trap of all historical plays -- feathering in essential context without overwhelming the narrative in educational facts.
But the real stumble occurs at the end when the staging skids into a brick wall. Our heroes agree to a second, seemingly doomed exhibition. And then nothing happens. The finale is meant as a tableau of artists on the brink of immortality. In a film, the soundtrack would ring with swelling trumpets; the execution here lacks the energy of a celebratory climax to put a satisfying button on the evening.
Still, this work from South Florida's most prolific and popular playwright contains immense promise. John D. Hall's video projections are notable among excellent design elements: an ever-shifting array of paintings that illustrate and comment upon the action. But the images are often slightly out of focus, or stage lights wash out their vibrancy.
Bill Hirschman can be reached at 954-356-4513 or bhirschman@sun-sentinel.com.
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THEATER REVIEW
The Impressionists
Drama, through May 21 at Caldwell Theatre Company, 7873 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Shows 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sunday and some Saturdays, 7 p.m. some Sundays. Tickets $32.50-$41.50 Call 561-241-7432.
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