Naz Edwards is shocking, mesmerizing, and heartbreaking in her portrayal of Peggy Guggenheim in Performance Network Theatre’s production of Woman Before a Glass.
The one-woman play by Lanie Robertson is perfectly suited to Edwards larger-than-life abilities. Edwards holds nothing back – channeling Peggy Guggenheim to describe the famous heiress' personal tragedies (the loss of beloved family members and lovers) and her many triumphs (over Nazi’s, obnoxious museum directors and her rich Uncle Solomon Guggenheim’s despised mistress).
Guggenheim collected not only art, but artists, and the play is a juicy narrative that serves up fascinating insights into the personalities that defined the pre- and post-WWII art scene. Mann Ray, Brancusi, Pollack, Picasso, Ernst, Miro, Magritte, Man Ray, Dali, Klee and Chagall. They're all there. And more.
The performance is set entirely in Guggenheim’s final residence in Venice, the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal, which stands today as a museum showcasing her personal art collection. The set design by Monika Essen, who also designed the costumes and properties, is appropriately abstract, with set pieces styled after the polydimensional work of Frederick Kiesler and a sampling of sculpture and paintings from her famous collection.
We can only wish that Peggy Guggenheim was a chanteuse, as well, so that we could have had an excuse to hear Naz Edwards sing last night. As it is, the rigors of a 90-minute show, served up without intermission, probably challenged even the prodigious energy of Ms. Edwards. If so, it didn’t show.
This mesmerizing play is directed by Malcolm Tulip, who also directed Amadeus and The Seafarer. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this latest triumph.
Performances run through September 5, 2010. Weekly performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with 3 p.m. matinees on Saturday August 21 and September 4.
Tickets can be ordered at the Performance Network Box Office at 734-663-0681, online or by coming to the Performance Network Theatre (120 East Huron St., Ann Arbor, 48104) Monday-Saturday 11-6 or one hour before a performance. Tickets are priced at $22 - $41, with discounts available for seniors, members, students and groups.
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