Museum Paints a Humorous Picture of the Art World
Absurdist humor took center stage during last weekend’s performances of Museum.
Written by Tina Howe, the play takes place over the course of one day and tells the story of three fictional contemporary American artists being exhibited in a major museum of modern art. The exhibit welcomes people from all walks of life: art lovers and critics, students and skeptics. Intentionally absurd, the play highlights the different ways in which people respond to art.
Christopher Briante, Upper School drama teacher and the play’s director, chose the piece specifically because it is “a contemporary comedy penned by a fantastic, but mostly unknown, female playwright who I felt was important our students be exposed to.” Because the performance has forty characters, Briante was able to cast every student who auditioned.
Logistically complex, Museum gave students the chance to be innovative, as well. “One of the fun challenges for the non-speaking museum-goers were their traffic patterns in and around our three-level set,” noted Briante. “ It created some additional acting layers that I was very pleased with.”
And while there were many memorable moments from the show, there is one in particular that Briante enjoyed most: “seeing the cast after the show feeling really good about their accomplishments.”
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