An art lover's must read

If you love anything about art, this is a fascinating excursion into the wild world of art.

The Devil in the Gallery: How Scandal, Shock, And Rivalry Shaped The Art World (2021) by Noah Charney is full of outrageous art, with detailed descriptions and reproductions in black and white and color, most from Wikipedia.

Nothing is sacred here. All art's scandals and controversies are included which build more traffic. (Natch)

And the more controversial, the better: “It is difficult to think of any artist who was involved in a scandal that proved their absolute ruin both in the short and long term.” (P. 45)

The book spans about five centuries, from Caravaggio in the 16th century to contemporary artists (Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Ai Weiwei and more).

Caravaggio was a murderer which has not affected his long-term following:

“Being a bad person, even a murderer, does not seem to negatively impact an artist’s legacy.” (P. 44) 

And he wasn't the only one. 

Performance and body art which desecrates the body to shock and draw attention is nothing new. Hang yourself with nails, float in human waste. Invite onlookers to use tools to hurt the artist. It’s all been tried before.

Many of the depictions are too extreme to describe here.

What’s new?

“Shock has become the new norm.” (P. 87)

Washington's Museum of the Bible is included on page 127 about stolen art.

Charney, the author of The Art Thief and other books, founded the Association for Research into Crimes against Art, and has been a nominee for the Pulitzer Prize. He has taught at Yale, Brown, and American universities. 

It's a must read, must see book! How I wish an institution would mount an exhibition! Enough of the exclamation marks, but I can't resist.

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

Tom Stoppard's stunning 'Leopoldstadt' at Shakespeare Theatre

Shakespeare Theatre Company's Leopoldstadt opens with a happy Christmas scene/Teresa Castracane, photo

Leopoldstadt is the name of a district outside Vienna which was the most cosmopolitan of cities in the late 19th century, with celebrated music, theatre, and the arts. Many of Leopoldstadt's residents were Jewish, and notable residents have included Billy Wilder and Johann Strauss and his son.

The play, Leopoldstadt won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2023, making Sir Tom Stoppard, the playwright, the winner of five Tonys for Best Play, more than anyone else, he, the author of more than 35 stage plays.

Stoppard is famous for his comedic, realistic portrayals of society and the issues of the day, but Leopoldstadt is no comedy.

The cover of Shakespeare Theatre Company's program is a photograph of a young Stoppard (now 87) when he was a toddler, although he says Leopoldstadt is not an autobiographical play.

The production opens upon a luxurious set at the home of a wealthy Jewish family amidst ostensibly happy times in 1899 with a holiday celebration and a Christmas tree.

Critical family members are introduced and we follow them along as they grow up and mature with stops in 1924, 1938, and 1955. Due to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, the family disintegrates.

Hermann (Nael Nacer) becomes the new "papist" in the group, so tabbed by Grandma Emilia, (Phyllis Kay) the family's strong matriarch. Hermann realizes he'll never be successful in Vienna as a Jew and he marries a Catholic.

Over time, scenes grow darker, more somber. Books disappear from shelves; the increasingly bleak chambers match the dull clothing.

The cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company's Leopoldstadt/ Teresa Castracane, photo

Even with the big family tree included in the program, it is not easy keeping up with the large cast (22) and who's who, but that remains secondary to the message.

STC's production is outstanding and certain to linger: the costumes (Victorian for a while), the sets, the acting, the sounds. The sounds! They’re excruciating as the play develops. The Nazi noises; the explosions, the sirens, the pounding at the door (by Jane Shaw).

You know the ending but getting to it with the Merz family and their slow recognition over the years of the harsh realities of their futures; their avoidance of what they knew was likely to be.

And who can blame them?

Stoppard was an adult before he learned of his Jewish background, that all his grandparents and three of his mother's sisters who were Jewish died in the Holocaust. Stoppard was born in Czechoslovakia whose father died when he was 4. His mother married a British officer whose surname Stoppard adopted.

According to program notes, Stoppard did not write Leopoldstadt until after his mother’s death.

Three generations celebrate their existence until there is no more. A theatre classic which reminds us it can happen again. And it is.

Six young local actors are the delightful children who perform at alternate shows: Harrison Morford, William Morford, Teddy Schechter, Adrianna Weir, Mila Weir, and Audrey Ella Wolff.

Everything about the performance is stunning, from the lighting (by Robert Wierzel) to costumes (by Alex Jaeger), and acting (director, Carey Perloff).

Other production designers are Ken McDonald, scenics; Tom Watson, wigs and hair; Yuki Izumihara, projections.

Director Perloff's family also was affected by the Nazis: Her mother had to flee Vienna in 1938.


What: Leopoldstadt

When: Now through Dec. 29, 2024

Where: Shakespeare Theatre Company, Harman Hall, 610 F St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

Duration: Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 15-minute intermission (but it seems much shorter).

Single tickets start at $35. Call the box office at 202-547-1122. Visit ShakespeareTheatre.org.

patricialesli@gmail.com