My favorite joke from the sitcom 30 Rock is when the preening actress Jenna Maroney states, “I know the Tony rules because I’ve been petitioning for them to add a category for living theatrically in normal life.” Here’s a woman so committed to her art that vanity, applause, and pretension are synonymous with living.
Sylvia Fletcher is this kind of diva. She’s the protagonist of Morgan Burris’ new play Art Is Dead now at DC’s Capital Fringe Festival—and played by Emmy Harvey, she opens the show gasping in admiration at a blank canvas she’s “painted,” one she says is “turbulent nothingness.” 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’s career, the violence invigorates her. She soon gets the backing of an agent, Georgina (Kate Blansett), and her career accelerates even as she’s haunted by her actions.
Burris and many cast members are part of the Washington Improv Theater, 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.
But comedic scenarios are supposed to set the scene for actors to let loose, and Art Is Dead 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.
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.
Running Time: 50 minutes
Genre: Comedy
Dates and Times:
- July 14 at 1:30 PM
- July 19 at 6:35 PM
- July 20 at 11:35 AM
- July 21 at 2:00 PM
Venue: Delirium, 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 103
Tickets: $15
More Info and Tickets: Art Is Dead
The complete 2024 Capital Fringe Festival schedule is online here.
