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Flawless 'Sunday in the Park with George'

The girl, or the art? This is the fundamental question that painter Georges faces as he attempts to balance his work with his personal life. In “Sunday in the Park with George,” director Julia Bumke ’13 explores the themes of the creation of art, obsession, and regrets. This production, which portrays Georges’ struggles with finishing his magnum opus, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” features a detailed set, colorful costumes and a melodious musical score and is a resounding success.

“Sunday in the Park with George” stars Brad Wilson ’13 and Holly Linneman ’13, who each play two roles within the play. In Act I, Wilson portrays the painter Georges Seurat, while Linneman plays his mistress Dot. In the second act, Wilson takes on the role of Seurat’s great-grandson, also an artist, while Linneman acts as Seurat’s daughter, Marie. Both students act and sing with aplomb. Wilson sings a melancholy and resigned song, “Finishing the Hat,” which reveals that it is in his character’s nature to choose his art over Dot. This sad song summarizes Georges’ conflicted feelings that course through the play’s first act. Near the end of the first act, Dot and Georges sing a duet in which they finally conclude that “We Do Not Belong Together.” In this piece, both Wilson’s and Linneman’s vocal talents are used to their fullest potential, as they bring to life the angst and ambivalence faced by the artist and his mistress.

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The musical’s orchestra contributes greatly to the success of “Sunday in the Park with George.” In the first song, “Sunday in the Park with George,” the orchestra plays an upbeat, syncopated rhythm as Dot sings about the difficulties of modeling for a painting. In a later song, “Sunday,” sung by the entire company, the orchestra rises to the challenge of providing the music for the whole cast, playing beautiful harmonies that tie together each of the voices of the actors.

The production also ties in visual manifestations of the play’s historical context. In Act I, which takes place in 1884 in France, actors discuss the construction of the Eiffel Tower, and Georges makes a jab at Dot’s inability to read. Most of this act is set outdoors on the island depicted in the Georges’ painting. This context changes drastically in Act II, set a century later in America; the trees from the first act are replaced with steel lights hanging from the ceiling, and wooden furniture is replaced by metal folding chairs. Despite this transition, several elements unite the two acts. In each act, a struggling artist who has sidelined his personal life tries to win the respect of the art world through one major work. The fact that Wilson and Linneman connect these two acts through their performances only reinforces the ties between the first and second halves.

The set also contributes to the unity between the acts. The play opens and closes with a blank canvas suspended above the stage as Wilson reads, “White: a blank page or canvas.” This canvas symbolizes the vast possibilities of both art and life, which applies both to Georges Seurat and his great-grandson George. Throughout the first act, Georges stands atop a stool as he paints an imaginary canvas in a frame floating above the stage. The frame serves as a window through which Georges views the world; for him, everything is framed through the context of his art. To add to this continuity, the entire stage is enclosed within an even larger frame. This prop emphasizes how all the events and all the actors live within one, all-encompassing masterpiece: the ever-changing art of life.

With captivating musical tunes and eye-catching costumes, “Sunday in the Park with George” is a highly entertaining experience. “Sunday” reaches out to the audience through its quest to reconcile work with life and find peace with oneself.

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