Special to The Herald-Sun
DURHAM -- Jay O'Berski aims to offer insight into Ariel Dorfman's "Picasso's Closet," even if his version does not explore every corner. The Nasher Museum of Art commissioned O'Berski to direct a staged reading of the play presented in conjunction with the exhibition, "Picasso and the Allure of Language."
O'Berski's interpretation runs about 90 minutes, as opposed to the three-hour premiere of the play in 2006, and focuses on three main characters. There's Picasso (Jeff Alguire); Picasso's lover and model, Dora Maar (Dana Marks); and German Captain Albert Lucht (Tony Perucci). Actors Jordan Smith, Chaunesti Lyon and Marshall Botvinick appear as nine other characters that include Max Jacob, Baltzac and the journalist, Charlene.
"The play is intellectually and academically challenging. It's surreal, the time and space continuum is shifting, people are coming and going. It's not a realistic, kitchen sink play," O'Berski said in a recent interview.
As artistic director of Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern, O'Berski knows about out-of-the-box plays. He even tackled Virginia Woolf's poetic, stream-of-conscious novel, "The Waves," in his original play performed during Duke University's Bloomsbury celebration last year.
With added visuals and sounds, O'Berski's production offers something beyond a standard staged reading. Emma Nadeau and Joah Tunnell created original, flamenco/tango-inspired music performed live. While Rus Hames' large projections feature Picasso's art.
"I wanted to tell the story visually as though directing the play for Japanese tourists," the director added. "It's going to be a spectacle."
