“Chick: The Great Osram”
Hartford Stage through Nov. 11th
By Shera Cohen
This biographical play of arts entrepreneur Arthur Austin had to be presented in Hartford. Better known as Chick, this was the man who became the director of the Wadsworth Athenaeum, bringing it to its heyday in the 1930s. Presented in 90-minutes, without intermission, the play is essentially three long monologues. One might think, well, that can’t possibly work. However, with the skill of two excellent actors, it can.
Chick was a man whose passion was visual art. He hated the exhibit goers who looked at a painting (modern, Picasso-like art) and asked: “What does it mean?” To him the meaning was inconsequential. It meant feeling, love, a tingling of sensations that made each piece alive. In many ways “Chick” is a lesson in art appreciation. Although didactic in parts, it is a subject that this reviewer learned much from. Through the exposition of only two characters, we become familiar with and understand the life that was Chick’s.
Robert Sella (Chick) makes a bizarre entrance in a wizard costume. His exit in the final scene is equally odd. Sella portrays the man as over-the-top as is necessary for who the real Chick was – the life of the party, a name-dropper, buddies with the rich and famous, and yet a man with a façade. Sella has a lot of work to do in this tour-de-force role. He is perfect for the job.
His real-life wife, Enid Graham, portrays Chick’s wife Helen. While living the high life, this is a woman portrayed with vulnerability, lack of confidence, and inner torment. The purposeful hesitation in her words as she speaks to the audience as her confidants is an easy, instant give-away of what is to come.
Playwright David Grimm’s dialogue is elegant and artful, with the words depicting the characters that speak them so well that this could have been a radio drama and essentially achieve the same goals. There are many lines that should later be quoted by anyone interested in the arts.
A short video of the Wadsworth’s Paper Ball is shown between two of the acts. Many in the audience seemed to be familiar with this spectacle. One wonders, however, if this play would work as well on tour, or if it must and can only be presented at Hartford Stage.
By Shera Cohen
This biographical play of arts entrepreneur Arthur Austin had to be presented in Hartford. Better known as Chick, this was the man who became the director of the Wadsworth Athenaeum, bringing it to its heyday in the 1930s. Presented in 90-minutes, without intermission, the play is essentially three long monologues. One might think, well, that can’t possibly work. However, with the skill of two excellent actors, it can.
Chick was a man whose passion was visual art. He hated the exhibit goers who looked at a painting (modern, Picasso-like art) and asked: “What does it mean?” To him the meaning was inconsequential. It meant feeling, love, a tingling of sensations that made each piece alive. In many ways “Chick” is a lesson in art appreciation. Although didactic in parts, it is a subject that this reviewer learned much from. Through the exposition of only two characters, we become familiar with and understand the life that was Chick’s.
Robert Sella (Chick) makes a bizarre entrance in a wizard costume. His exit in the final scene is equally odd. Sella portrays the man as over-the-top as is necessary for who the real Chick was – the life of the party, a name-dropper, buddies with the rich and famous, and yet a man with a façade. Sella has a lot of work to do in this tour-de-force role. He is perfect for the job.
His real-life wife, Enid Graham, portrays Chick’s wife Helen. While living the high life, this is a woman portrayed with vulnerability, lack of confidence, and inner torment. The purposeful hesitation in her words as she speaks to the audience as her confidants is an easy, instant give-away of what is to come.
Playwright David Grimm’s dialogue is elegant and artful, with the words depicting the characters that speak them so well that this could have been a radio drama and essentially achieve the same goals. There are many lines that should later be quoted by anyone interested in the arts.
A short video of the Wadsworth’s Paper Ball is shown between two of the acts. Many in the audience seemed to be familiar with this spectacle. One wonders, however, if this play would work as well on tour, or if it must and can only be presented at Hartford Stage.
Labels: chick the great osram, greater hartford, hartford stage, theatre
