‘A Thousand Words’ writers produce short plays using an artist’s work or an aspect of the artist’s life’
By David Ng Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, June 11, 2008
Mickey Swenson, Heidi Darchuk and Coleman Hough in a scene from 'Dressed for Dinner.' (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times / May 25, 2008)
Stephen Sondheim and Georges Seurat. John Guare and Wassily Kandinsky. Edward Albee and Louise Nevelson.
Throughout theater history, writers have mined the works and biographies of artists to create such vastly different dramas as “Sunday in the Park With George,” “Six Degrees of Separation” and “Occupant.”
Taking the formula in an experimental direction, Padua Playwrights’ “A Thousand Words” pairs nine dramatists with nine visual artists, most of whom come from the Los Angeles avant-garde scene. Each playwright was commissioned to produce a 10-minute drama using a work from the artist’s studio or an aspect of the artist’s life. (A gallery show featuring the artists’ works will accompany the play.) Read More>