 SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
a musical in two acts. Book by James Lapine. Music and lyrics by Stephen
Sondheim.
Produced at the Booth Theatre, New York, 2 May 1984 with Mandy Patinkin
(Georges/George), Bernadette Peters (Dot/Marie) and Charles Kimbrough
(Jules/Bob).
Produced at the Royal National Theatre, London, 15 March 1990 with
Philip Quast, Maria Friedman and Gary Raymond.
SYNOPSIS
Act I
A Sunday in Paris in 1884. Georges, an artist who is experimenting
with innovative painting techniques, is seated in front of a bare white
stage, blank drawing-pad in hand. His challenge? Tring order to the
whole." As he speaks, the shimmering sea of white before him begins
to transform itself - into a park on the island of La Grande Jatte.
Georges starts to draw. A boat glides on, a couple appears in the distance
and trees magically materialise. One tree, though, displeases Georges.
He erases it from his pad and, suddenly, it is removed up into the
sky and out of sight. For Dot, his model and long-suffering lover,
standing in the sun, with no shade because there's no tree, it's just
another Sunday In the Park with George.
Now, however, we are in a gallery, where Jules, another painter, and
his wife Yvonne are considering Georges' first major painting, "Bathing
at Asnières". It is too cerebral, they conclude, too cold,
too controlled. There is No Life in his art, says Jules. No
life in his life, adds Yvonne. In the painter's studio, Dot sits at
a vanity mirror powdering her face, while, in an identical rhythm,
Georges dabs spots of red and purple and white on his new painting:
it's only Colour and Light. She is preparing to go to the Follies
with him, but his painting proves more important -he has to stay to
finish a hat. Dot leaves in a rage, realising that for Georges, his
art will always come first.
Returning to the park on another Sunday sometime later, Georges. paints
two women called Celeste as they Gossip about these poor deluded
artists. Dot, pregnant, has a new lover, a baker called Louis. She
has left Georges because she needs someone with an income to support
her. Georges is, as ever, absorbed in his painting: today, he is imagining
life as the Boatman's dog Spot, relishing The Day Off on the
grass - after a "ruff" week. He goes when he sees Dot returning
with the baker. True, he's not what she had in mind, but, in a way,
his pastries are works of art and Everyone Loves Louis.
Georges is sorry Dot has left, but that is his life: he watches the
world go by, while he sits at his easel, lost in some tiny detail, Finishing
the Hat. "Look, 1 made a hat," he says, "where there
never was a hat . . . " Dot knows now that Georges is whole, complete.
But she is not self-contained, she needs to move on. She understands
that We Do Not Belong Together. When she comes by with their
child, he does not even look up. "Louis is her father," he
says. "Louis is not her father," Dot replies. "Louis
is her father now", says Georges. Dot and Louis will take the
baby to America.
In the park, the Old Lady - Georges' mother - urges him to paint,
and preserve, everything that is Beautiful before it disappears,
before new buildings obliterate the trees. Even as Georges insists
that change is beautiful, his mother pines for the old view. Around
him, the park fills with characters, squabbling and fighting until
Georges calls for
"order" and "balance". He commences to re-arrange
the people and the trees and, from the chaos, assembles a peaceful
promenade on La Grande Jatte. Harmony at last. As the fractious ensemble
comes together to form his painting, Georges freezes his models in
their final poses: an ordinary, perfect Sunday.
Act II
It is still a Sunday afternoon on the island of La Grande Jatte. But
the serenity of the final tableau has degenerated into petty bickering
among the figures in the painting. It's monotonous, it's not Franz's
good profile. Jules is completely out of proportion and, worst of all, It's
Hot Up Here. These people have been stuck in the same poses for
almost a century and they're sick of it. It is now 1984 and Georges'
work is on exhibition in America, where his and Dot's daughter Marie,
as old as the painting, have come to see it.
With her is her grandson, another George, another artist. Although
he's never really believed that the woman in the picture is his grandmother,
his latest commission, a big white electrical machine with a sphere
on top called Chromolume #7, is his own way of commemorating
the famous painting. After some technical hitches, the machine finally
functions and George and Marie narrate the history of Georges Seurat.
After the performance the museum's Director announces that the new
condominium development above the gallery is now open for viewing.
The inconsequential chit-chat is depressing, but necessary. Link by
link, drink by drink, clink by clink, George is Putting It Together -
making the deal so that he can finish the art: connections lead to
commissions lead to exhibitions. As the glittering guests drift off
to dinner, Marie looks at her mother in the painting, remembering what
she said about Children and Art and trying to relate her to
her young grandson.
But Marie dies and George is invited to present his Chromolume in
Paris. The island of La Grande Jatte is now a cacophony of concrete
towers and the park his supposed great-grandfather painted has dwindled
away to a tiny patch of grass. George has his great-grandmother's old
grammar book and is idly intoning Lesson #8: "Charles has
a book. . ." "Marie has the ball of Charles . . . " George
misses Marie. And, as he thinks of her, Dot appears.
Despite his protestations that he has nothing more to say in his art,
she urges him to Move On and, as he reads the words Dot's Georges
scribbled in her book a century ago, the original promenaders re-convene
for one more perfect Sunday. George looks again at the book: "A
black page or canvas. His favourite. So many possibilities . . . " The
stage fades to white, and Dot slowly disappears.
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