Masterpiece Theater

Inventing van Gogh is flooded with compelling imagery and ideas.

Comments (0) By Juliet Wittman Thursday, Apr 22 2004

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Todd Webster

Brett Aune (left) and Chris Reid in Inventing van Gogh.

Details

Presented by Curious Theatre Company through May 22, 303-623-0524

Acoma Center, 1080 Acoma Street

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Dan Guyette, who created the set, and lighting designer Shannon McKinney must have worked closely together: The stage is dominated by three evocative shapes, which glow with van Gogh greens, reds, yellows and shades of blue. You could lose yourself in Matthew Morgan's sound, and reproductions of van Gogh paintings by local artist Vanessa VanHoudnos adorn the set. ("All painting is original," van Gogh says in the play. "Only photography is theft.") Director Chip Walton is responsible for assembling and coordinating these fine talents.

Above all, this is a wonderful -- and wonderfully literate -- script that avoids its subject's obvious pitfalls, is never ignorantly worshipful, and deploys irony, passion and boldness. Dietz incorporates historical fact without lecturing, and bits of Vincent van Gogh's letters erupt into the text like cries from the grave.