Impressionism (play)
Encyclopedia
Impressionism is a 2009 play by Michael Jacobs
about "an international photojournalist and a New York gallery owner whose unexpected brush with intimacy leads them to realize that there is an art to repairing broken lives."
with original music by Bob James
, the play starred Joan Allen
, Jeremy Irons
, André DeShields
, Hadley Delany, Aaron Lazar
, Margarita Levieva
, Marsha Mason
, and Michael T. Weiss
. The Broadway premiere began previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
on February 28, 2009. Its original official opening of March 12 was later postponed to March 24, because the producer, Bill Haber, director, Jack O'Brien, and writer, Michael Jacobs believed that, as this was the show's world premiere, more previews were necessary to gauge audience reaction to particular shifts in time and place, which were part of the story. As producer Bill Haber said, "We did not give Jack O'Brien and our extraordinary creative team and company enough time to fully prepare Michael Jacobs's new play for Broadway. Impressionism is a world premiere on Broadway, which has not been work-shopped or played out of town. We are working hard in previews and we need more time to get the show finished for the official opening." The team took the time to sculpt the play back to what the original script had called for, and the intermission, which was added in rehearsal, was eliminated.
The play met with mixed reviews by the critics. Ben Brantley
of The New York Times
was negative, calling it "undernourished" and its stars "ill-used". Entertainment Weekly
, however, gave the play a B and wrote that, "[Impressionism] practices the art of romantic comedy with a nice mix of pathos, intellect, and wit". The New Yorker
was enthusiastic and thought the play "is as awkward as it is sublime", noting its "brazen sweetness" and "openhearted humor".
Michael Jacobs
Michael Jacobs is a writer and producer whose work has appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, television and film. He is the creator/producer of several popular television series including Boy Meets World, Dinosaurs, Charles in Charge and My Two Dads...
about "an international photojournalist and a New York gallery owner whose unexpected brush with intimacy leads them to realize that there is an art to repairing broken lives."
Plot
The setting is the small art gallery of Katharine Keenan, where Thomas Buckle has been employed for the past two years. They use the gallery as a hiding place, to separate themselves from a world which has shattered them. He, by his time as a world traveling photojournalist, and she, by horribly failed relationships. Thomas brings Katharine coffee each morning, and tells her stories of its particular origin, although these stories are actually reflections of his own experiences. These lead to flashbacks of iconic moments that have led to their present state, as well as their relationship to the art that hangs in the gallery, which Katharine will not easily sell. In the end, we journey through a love story which shows Katharine and Thomas, that just like the Impressionist art on the walls, the more they step away from the canvas of their lives up to now, the more they realize that their future together might hold more depth than the past that has led them to each other.Production history
Directed by Jack O'BrienJack O'Brien (director)
Jack O'Brien is an American director, producer, writer and lyricist. He served as the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California from 1981 through the end of 2007....
with original music by Bob James
Bob James (musician)
Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
, the play starred Joan Allen
Joan Allen
Joan Allen is an American actress. She worked in theatre, television and film during her early career, and achieved recognition for her Broadway debut in Burn This, winning a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play in 1989.She has received three Academy Award nominations;...
, Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
, André DeShields
André DeShields
André De Shields is an American actor, singer, dancer, acclaimed novelist, choreographer, and college professor....
, Hadley Delany, Aaron Lazar
Aaron Lazar
-Early life and education:Lazar was born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to a Jewish family. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School West in 1994. Lazar attended Duke University where he earned a BA in music in 1998, while completing the prerequisite classes for medical school and taking the MCAT...
, Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva is an American actress. Born in the Soviet Union, she was a professional gymnast before going on to star in the films The Invisible, Adventureland and Spread.-Personal life:...
, Marsha Mason
Marsha Mason
Marsha Mason is an American actress and television director.She received four Academy Award nominations as Best Actress for her performances in Cinderella Liberty, The Goodbye Girl, Chapter Two, and Only When I Laugh. She is also known for starring in the 1986 film Heartbreak Ridge.-Life:Mason was...
, and Michael T. Weiss
Michael T. Weiss
Michael Terry Weiss is an American actor best known for playing the title role in The Pretender.-Early life:Weiss was born in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a steel-industry executive and his mother was a homemaker. He has a sister, Jamie Sue Weiss, who became a make-up artist for television...
. The Broadway premiere began previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
The Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 236 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan named for Gerald Schoenfeld....
on February 28, 2009. Its original official opening of March 12 was later postponed to March 24, because the producer, Bill Haber, director, Jack O'Brien, and writer, Michael Jacobs believed that, as this was the show's world premiere, more previews were necessary to gauge audience reaction to particular shifts in time and place, which were part of the story. As producer Bill Haber said, "We did not give Jack O'Brien and our extraordinary creative team and company enough time to fully prepare Michael Jacobs's new play for Broadway. Impressionism is a world premiere on Broadway, which has not been work-shopped or played out of town. We are working hard in previews and we need more time to get the show finished for the official opening." The team took the time to sculpt the play back to what the original script had called for, and the intermission, which was added in rehearsal, was eliminated.
The play met with mixed reviews by the critics. Ben Brantley
Ben Brantley
Benjamin D. "Ben" Brantley is an American journalist and the chief theater critic of The New York Times.-Life and career:...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
was negative, calling it "undernourished" and its stars "ill-used". Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, however, gave the play a B and wrote that, "[Impressionism] practices the art of romantic comedy with a nice mix of pathos, intellect, and wit". The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
was enthusiastic and thought the play "is as awkward as it is sublime", noting its "brazen sweetness" and "openhearted humor".
External links
- Impressionism at the Internet Broadway DatabaseInternet Broadway DatabaseThe Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, a trade association for the North American commercial theatre community....