The play about a reclusive artist who has hidden away in Mexico for many years was seen at Lincoln Center Theatre in New York, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and at the Huntington Theatre in Boston. Following the Lincoln Center run, which featured Donald Sutherland, Julianna Margulies and Denis O'Hare, it was mentioned as a commercial possibility for Broadway, but a plan has not yet materialized.
(It turns out Ten Unknowns is also surfacing at GableStage in Coral Gables, FL, Feb. 7-March 7.)
The production in Hartford is billed as "one of the most lavishly exotic physical productions in TheaterWorks' history." The script reflects some changes made after the previous productions.
Performances began Jan. 23. The production opens Jan. 30 and continues to March 7.
In the play, "painter Malcolm Raphelson — one of the celebrated 'Ten Unknowns of 1949' — faded into obscurity after turning his back on the world of commercial art," according to TheaterWorks production notes. "For nearly 30 years he has lived in a remote Mexican village, drinking and occasionally painting. But suddenly Malcolm's style comes back in fashion and an ambitious art dealer, Trevor Fabricant, is already setting up a comeback exhibition for works not yet painted. He provides Malcolm with a skillful assistant, Judd Sturgess, who sparks the output of many bold paintings. But with the unexpected arrival of Julia Bryant, a biology grad student from Berkeley who has traveled to Mexico to study the disappearance of a rare frog species, Malcolm finds a muse, throwing off a carefully crafted balance..." The Connecticut production features James A. Stephens as Malcolm Raphelson, Matthew Greer as Trevor Fabricant, Matthew Schmidt as Judd Sturgess and Angela Pierce as Julia Bryant.
TheaterWorks' artistic director, Steve Campo, directs. Designers are Luke Cantarella (set); Paul Whitaker (lighting), Linda Ross (costume) and J. Hagenbuckle (sound).
Tickets are $35-$40. TheaterWorks is at 233 Pearl Street in downtown Hartford.
For information and reservations call TheaterWorks at (860) 527-7838.
