{"id":356823,"date":"2024-07-13T16:04:52","date_gmt":"2024-07-13T20:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/?p=356823"},"modified":"2024-07-13T16:04:52","modified_gmt":"2024-07-13T20:04:52","slug":"2024-capital-fringe-review-art-is-dead-by-morgan-burris-2-1-2-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dctheaterarts.org\/2024\/07\/13\/2024-capital-fringe-review-art-is-dead-by-morgan-burris-2-1-2-stars\/","title":{"rendered":"2024 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Art Is Dead’ by Morgan Burris (3 stars)"},"content":{"rendered":"

M<\/span>y favorite joke from the sitcom 30 Rock <\/em>is when the preening actress Jenna Maroney<\/a> states, \u201cI know the Tony rules because I\u2019ve been petitioning for them to add a category for living theatrically<\/em> in normal life.\u201d Here\u2019s a woman so committed to her art that vanity, applause, and pretension are synonymous with living.<\/p>\n

Sylvia Fletcher is this kind of diva. She\u2019s the protagonist of Morgan Burris\u2019 new play Art Is Dead<\/em><\/a> now at DC\u2019s Capital Fringe Festival\u2014and played by Emmy Harvey, she opens the show gasping in admiration at a blank canvas she\u2019s \u201cpainted,\u201d one she says is \u201cturbulent nothingness.\u201d Her husband, Mark (Eli Okun), a successful arts journalist, looks on skeptically. Their creative differences come to a head with an accidental act of silly violence. But instead of destroying Sylvia\u2019s career, the violence invigorates her. She soon gets the backing of an agent, Georgina (Kate Blansett), and her career accelerates even as she\u2019s haunted by her actions.<\/p>\n

\"\"Burris and many cast members are part of the Washington Improv Theater<\/a>, and their skillful work honing comedy scenarios is evident. There are delightful twists, callbacks, and satirical one-liners. The best scene functions basically like a sketch comedy routine, with Sylvia discussing crude paintings in lovingly intellectual terms.<\/p>\n

But comedic scenarios are supposed to set the scene for actors to let loose, and Art Is Dead <\/em>often lacks this real-time action. Events that would make for great physical comedy primarily happen offstage, like the moving of unconscious bodies, or Sylvia evading responsibility for her actions. The pacing of the show could use some fine-tuning, too. The jokes are humorous, but might land harder with a faster, snappier rapport between actors. Scene transitions would be smoother with music, and the abrupt ending evinces a work in progress.<\/p>\n

Still, within Sylvia Fletcher, Burris has developed a star character. Sylvia is a mess of contradictions, someone sincerely dedicated to her work but insecure about her talent and behavior. Toward the end of the show, she unfortunately becomes a nervous, tragic figure. Yet Sylvia is most compelling to the audience when, like Jenna Maroney, we can feel her self-delusion fueling grandiose and absurd schemes. If Burris were to dramatize those schemes with more camp and drama onstage, she could get the blood pumping for both the actors and the audience. Just like Sylvia, Burris could get the blood spilling to create even greater art.<\/p>\n

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Running Time:<\/strong> 50 minutes
\nGenre:<\/strong> Comedy
\nDates and Times:<\/strong><\/p>\n