Pictures at an American Exhibition

by Rick Balian

Pictures brings American paintings to life in a series of short, fictional scenes. Each scene is based on a painting — some well known, some less well known — but each representative of a different decade in American art history, from the 18th century to the modern age. The show puts each work in an entertaining social and historical perspective, with attention paid to the great stylistic and cultural diversity of American painters.

The play was originally produced by The REV Theater in Auburn, NY — and it toured high schools throughout New York State. It also was produced Off-Off-Broadway at the Kraine Theater as well as Elmira College, Lehigh University, and other locations. Some of the scenes have been produced as standalone one-acts.

Paintings and characters

“The Tea” (Mary Cassatt, 1880): Two friends: Lydia and Jeanette

“The Gulf Stream” (Winslow Homer, 1899): Mose 

“The Thinker” (Thomas Eakins, 1900): Louis and his friends Raymond, Clara, and Natalie

“Club Night” (George Bellows, 1907): Boxer “Big” Ben McDonald; trainer Hayward; manager Frank; and Frank’s friend, Lottie

“American Gothic” (Grant Wood, 1930): Rachel and Jacob

“Nighthawks” (Edward Hopper, 1942): Diner owner Harvey; three customers: Gray, Mona, and Joe

“Tombstones” (Jacob Lawrence, 1942): Reverend Haman, Alma, Gladys, and Esther

“Christina’s World” (Andrew Wyeth, 1948): Christina

“Autumn Rhythm” (Jackson Pollock, 1950): Jazz musician Max; bartender Al; beatniks Dot and Dee; and customers Lena and Eddie

“Red, White and Blue” (Georgia O’Keefe, 1931): A Zuni woman and a woman from Central America

“Okay, Hot-Shot!” (Roy Lichtenstein, 1963): Fighter pilot Nate

“The Cafeteria” (Richard Estes, 1972): Two friends: Mimi and Bret

The play opens and ends in an art museum with a bored museum guard and a young artist doing sketches of the paintings. The scenes are the artist’s imagined ideas of the paintings. When she suddenly realizes the museum is closing, she leaves her sketchbook behind. The museum guard looks through it. The guard has very different ideas of what the paintings are about. The first scene, “The Tea,” is started again — but with his personal take on the characters.

Running time: depending on how many scenes are performed, between 45–120 minutes. The number of scenes included in a production is dependent on the playing time restriction (less than an hour, an hour, more than an hour), casting (whether suitable actors are available for some scenes), and also what one’s favorite scenes are.