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A
drama that explores Edgar Degas' scandalous visit to New Orleans in
1872. Edgar Degas, the French Impressionist painter, is struggling
with the conflicts of helping his brother and Louisiana relatives in
America, and pursuing a career as a painter. Fame and spiritability
come to a head when he discovers he is still in love with his
sister-in-law who is pregnant and blind. Edgar struggles with ethical
priorities when he discovers his aggressive charming brother has gone
through all the family money in an attempt to save his uncle's
sugar business. One integrated int/ext.set.
CAST OF CHARACTERS: (2
M, 6W)
Edgar Degas, 38, painter
Rene Degas, 27, brother of Degas
(2 sisters)
Desiree (Didi) Musson, 34, their unmarried cousin
Estelle (Tell) Musson Balfour Degas, 29, their blind cousin and Rene�s
wife
Josephine (Jo) Balfour, 10, Tell�s little girl from her first marriage
America Durrive Olivier, 24, Rene�s mistress
SETTING:
We are in a two-story rental house on 2306 Esplanade Avenue, New
Orleans, Louisiana. It is 1872. A double parlor with the remnants of
grandeur: a glittering chandelier, an elegant tattered sofa, a
mahogany desk, and a high-back chair. To the right, two
floor-to-ceiling windows open onto a galley; to the left, a door to
the pantry. Upstage two matching parlor doors lead offstage to an
unseen staircased grand hallway that connects the upstairs, and the
front and rear of the house. Outside we hear the clanging of a random
mule-drawn streetcar. Throughout the play, Degas� paintings or the
rapturous colors within them are projected onto the rear wall, lending
their transparent blues, pinks, and violets to the bleak setting.
NOTE: A French translation of DEGAS IN NEW ORLEANS by Philippe Miglioli is available. Contact Tonda Marton, The Marton Agency, Inc., 1 Union Square W., Suite 815, New York, NY 10003 Phone: 212-255-1908 |
Edgar Degas in New
Orleans |
