First Impressions

Art history is full of compelling side trips, including the story of the complex relationship between transitional painter Edouard Manet and impressionist Berthe Morisot, a unique friendship not unlike that of their contemporaries Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas. Manet was both friend and mentor to Morisot, and, after she married Eugène Manet, her brother-in-law, as well; he painted eleven portraits of her over time, and though rumors exist about the full extent of their relationship, no one can really be certain where its parameters began or ended.

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• Eugene Manet
• Berthe Morisot
• Mary Cassatt
• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Theater

Local playwright William Kovacsik came to appreciate the drama in their saga, which comes to life in his play Morisot Reclining, a story that unfolds through narration by the characters of Degas and Cassatt, augmented visually by a projected backdrop of paintings by all four artists. After three years of workshopping with the playwright, the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company, will present a world premiere of the work, beginning April 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder.

“It’s a beautiful story that will resonate in the Boulder area because of the strong artistic community in the area,” says Stephen Weitz of the BETC, who portrays Manet in the play. “[Kovacsik] uses the paintings as a jumping-off place to explore the relationship between Manet and Morisot. It’s rooted in historical fact, with a touch of dramatic license about what each painting means.”

Morisot Reclining continues Thursdays through Sundays until May 9; for tickets, $15 to $20, and showtimes, log on to www.boulderensembletheatre.org or call the Dairy at 303-440-7826.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 4 p.m. Starts: April 23. Continues through May 9, 2009