By
Lisa Lucas
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Arizona Theatre Company performs world-premiere play 'Inventing van Gogh' through April
Occasionally, it is reported that random individuals have had sightings of the thought-to-be-dead musical legend Elvis.
While members of the Tucson community may not spot Elvis this month, they will have the opportunity to witness a staged reincarnation of another late artist - the legendary painter Vincent van Gogh.
"Inventing van Gogh," a new play written by Steven Dietz and performed by the Arizona Theatre Company, has been showing since its debut Friday at The Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave.
Director David Goldstein described the play as a drama, elaborating that the show is both "a mystery and investigation of the life of van Gogh."
University of Arizona acting/directing senior David Lee, an understudy in "Inventing," added, "The play is beautiful and it really does celebrate the artist's craft."
Lee said some of the text in the play actually comes from personal letters written by van Gogh himself.
Goldstein described the play's story line as a relationship between a present-day painter and the legendary van Gogh.
"The play is about a contemporary artist named Patrick (who has) been blackmailed into painting a fake van Gogh self-portrait," he said. "Van Gogh himself shows up to help (Patrick) paint this portrait."
While part of "Inventing" takes place in the present day, the other part reverts back to 1890, near the end of van Gogh's life.
Dana Jepsen, a UA graduate student in acting and also an understudy in "Inventing van Gogh," added the melding of the present-day and past adds a complexity to the play.
Goldstein said the set design and lighting used for the performance help distinguish between the two distinct time periods portrayed in the show.
"(There is) a lot that's done with light, projections, music and costumes to keep the play floating and yet keep us anchored in time with where we are at that particular moment," he said.
Goldstein said he has worked with writer Steven Dietz on six previous world-premiering plays written in the past 12 years, though he had not previously worked with any of the cast members in "Inventing."
"This was the first time in years that I was working with a cast - none of whom I've worked with before," he said.
Because the show is a work in progress the script is still being revised. Goldstein remarked that although the "generous and imaginative" cast had to deal with several script changes, they have handled each revision well
"I think it's always a bit more challenging and exciting (working on a world-premiere) because you have the writer in the room and the work is ongoing," he said. "The text is more of a living organism."
"The playwright Steven Dietz was here during the rehearsals and the previews, going through rewrites," Jepsen added. "The script that I have now is, like, the fifth script."
"What we're seeing here is a world premiere," he continued, "which is exciting because a lot of (work) that gets produced has been tried and proven - this is something that is still in the process of being written."
Goldstein said he hopes people who attend "Inventing van Gogh" leave with the impression that art is an essential part of human life.
"My hope is that people will take away from it a sense of the importance of creativity in all of our lives," he said. "Whether it's painting, directing a play, playing the guitar or acting in a play - devoting part of your life to the imagination and the creation of something that wasn't there before - it's an honorable pursuit."
"Inventing Van Gogh"
The Arizona Theater Company's "Inventing Van Gogh" runs through April 29 at The Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. Call 884-8210 for showtimes and ticket information.
