The Daily OrangeWomen in Blue tells the story behind a portrait at Everson Museum
By Araba Sapara-Grant
Posted: 10/19/09, 11:41 PM EST Section: Feature
A young French model, Henriette Henriot, steps out of her 135-year-old painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir to perform at Syracuse Stage this month.
Visual art, acting and writing will join forces today at 5 p.m. when the play, "Woman in the Blue Dress" comes to the Jabberwocky Café. The piece is written by Lauren Unbekant and directed by Leslie Noble, members of the drama faculty at Syracuse University.
As a part of the new "Turner to Cezanne" exhibit at the Everson Museum of Art, the play will run at the museum's Hosmer Auditorium from today to November 8. It will also be playing at the Warehouse tomorrow at 12:15 p.m.
With the "Turner to Cezanne" exhibit, the Everson celebrates the art of Impressionism and looked to several community collaborators, including the Syracuse Opera, to take part in the events related to the exhibit. Unbekant jumped at the option to write a play to compliment the exhibit, when approached by museum organizers.
"There's a connection to all disciplines of art" said Unbekant. "They don't live on their own so it's very important to find ways to connect and support all art forms."
Unbekant decided to base her play on the famous Renoir painting, "La Parisienne." The painting, which depicts the model, Henriette, confidently looking directly into the eyes of the viewer, represents what Unbekant calls the whisperings of the women's movement.
"(The 19th century) was a time when women were just being allowed to socialize without chaperones and have some independence," Unbekant said, "but in the painting world, it was still unusual to have models gazing directly at the viewer. This painting is ground-breaking,"
Using the historical period in which Henriette was living, Unbekant took information about the model's life and some poetic license to write a 30-minute play, with Henriette as its only character.
"I wrote the play like I was painting ("La Parisienne")," said Unbekant. "All you see is (Henriette), so she should let her tell own story."
Visual art, acting and writing will join forces today at 5 p.m. when the play, "Woman in the Blue Dress" comes to the Jabberwocky Café. The piece is written by Lauren Unbekant and directed by Leslie Noble, members of the drama faculty at Syracuse University.
As a part of the new "Turner to Cezanne" exhibit at the Everson Museum of Art, the play will run at the museum's Hosmer Auditorium from today to November 8. It will also be playing at the Warehouse tomorrow at 12:15 p.m.
With the "Turner to Cezanne" exhibit, the Everson celebrates the art of Impressionism and looked to several community collaborators, including the Syracuse Opera, to take part in the events related to the exhibit. Unbekant jumped at the option to write a play to compliment the exhibit, when approached by museum organizers.
"There's a connection to all disciplines of art" said Unbekant. "They don't live on their own so it's very important to find ways to connect and support all art forms."
Unbekant decided to base her play on the famous Renoir painting, "La Parisienne." The painting, which depicts the model, Henriette, confidently looking directly into the eyes of the viewer, represents what Unbekant calls the whisperings of the women's movement.
"(The 19th century) was a time when women were just being allowed to socialize without chaperones and have some independence," Unbekant said, "but in the painting world, it was still unusual to have models gazing directly at the viewer. This painting is ground-breaking,"
Using the historical period in which Henriette was living, Unbekant took information about the model's life and some poetic license to write a 30-minute play, with Henriette as its only character.
"I wrote the play like I was painting ("La Parisienne")," said Unbekant. "All you see is (Henriette), so she should let her tell own story."
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