by Charles Mee
First published 2018
Charles Mee transforms the canvas into the stage with six theatrical works that spring from iconic paintings and artists. Each play takes a different approach to its visual inspiration. Matisse's Self Portrait becomes a meditation on artistic identity. Picasso's Masterpiece explores the creative process and its contradictions. Van Gogh's Sunflowers captures the painter's intensity and vision. The centerpiece, bobrauschenbergamerica, constructs a vibrant collage of American experience through dance, comedy, and memory. Hotel Cassiopeia ventures into surreal territory, while soot and spit grounds itself in grittier material. Mee doesn't simply adapt these artworks but uses them as launching points for theatrical exploration. The plays blend movement, humor, and storytelling into performances that critics have called both entertaining and emotionally rich. Together, they form a collection that celebrates the connection between visual and theatrical art.
Genres: drama, art, literary-fiction, theatre
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, visual-to-theatrical-adaptation
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
370 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform