Reprinted Entertainment Today, November 12-November 18, 1999

Break of Day
Lillian Theater
by Derek Margolis-Devermont

The name Van Gogh has been burned into every chld and adult’s mind for the last century.  Images of crude paintings with disturbing scratches conjure up his name and image with an unsettling aftertaste of emotions.  The famous pictures of starred nights and insane asylums stand out as his invaluable creations meant for the people.  What many fail to realize as viewers is that his chaotic paintings are windows into a stormy mind.  Stephen Fife’s play, Break of Day, takes a look at the man behind the paintings.  Instead of analyzing the paintings, Fife puts the focus on the painter and creates a play with meaning and beauty. 

Fife’s script was marterfully created.  With clever dialogue, he tells a tale of a tortured soul’s confusion without letting Van Gogh’s inner conflicts become boringly obvious to the audience.  The Van Gogh we come to know is a man that is on a frustrated quest for meaning in a bland existence.  The character is sympathized with, as he        himself is unable to articulate his search.  Instead, he wanders from battleground to battleground, each time in the name of a different pice of life.  He screams his battle cries at his opposing family with tales of unconditional love, art, and honor.  Each time willing to die for his beleif, and each time being let down when his idealistic view is brought inot the world’s reality.

Billy Hayes’ (author of Midnight Express) wonderful direction and a stellar performance by Victor Raider-Wexler (Paster Theo who is also Vincent’s overwhelming father) help to make this play a wonderful feast for the mind.  With Vincent Van Gogh’s paintings looming in the background, this brilliant choice by the director lends to a fuller understanidng of the main characters state of mind.  Teh mixture of paintings and Raider-Wexler’s performance are what tryly make this play great.  The direction, script and the performance by Raider-Wexler provide a solid base for the rest of the show to rest on.

This play is highly recommended.  It’s refreshing to see a play that atisfies all the viewers’ needs witout having ot hear ridiculous songs in between valuable dialogue.  In a day where silly musicals clog the theater scene, this play leads lovers of theater to have hopethat there is a future for brilliant writers an dthat they won’t be drowned out by the mainstream musicals.