Review: Orlando Shakespeare's BAKERSFIELD MIST is Thrilling Examination of the Nature of Art

To whom does art belong? Is it something for only the elite and educated to analyze and appreciate, or is the opinion of the average viewer just as valid? That and many other complicated questions about the nature of art are examined in Stephen Sachs' thrilling two-hander BAKERSFIELD MIST, running at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre through November 15th. Under the exquisite direction of Matt Pfeiffer, Steve Brady and Anne Hering collaborate for one of the most intelligent, challenging, and exciting performances I have seen in quite a while.

Much like Yasmina Reza's ART and John Logan's RED, both Best Play Tony-winners, Sachs uses the extremely intimate reactions that different people have to the same piece of art as a way to discuss far more personal truths about the individuals. In the play, which was part of Orlando Shakes' Playfest in 2011, art expert Lionel Percy (Brady) has been sent to Maude Gutman's (Hering) cluttered California trailer, packed from floor to ceiling with sundry kitschy knick-knacks, to determine if her latest thrift shop find is in fact a priceless, lost work of abstract expressionist master Jackson Pollock.

Unsurprisingly, the two clash over the painting's authenticity, but in the process get at what makes a person authentic as well. The amount of powerful, thought-provoking questions that the script raises would be daunting to nearly any actor, but Brady and Hering bring so much depth and nuance to each minute pivot in the intellectually complex discussion that it makes for an edge-of-your-seat ride.

While likely everyone will take away something different away from show, the inherent class distinctions between the arrogant professor and former curator and the salt-of-the-earth unemployed bartender struck me the most. Whether or not Lionel was prejudiced beyond reason before he entered her trailer is up for debate, but it is clear that Lionel does not think that Maude is worthy of having made the discovery of the century.

At one point, he tells her, "New York will never approve of this painting, or of you." While the art form is different, this is an issue that the theatre has been facing over the past two decades as ticket prices have sky-rocketed. Is art a commodity that only the wealthy should have the right to enjoy, or should everybody be granted the opportunity to learn and draw inspiration from it?

While Lionel and Maude banter about the purpose of art and the shared experience that it can create, it becomes clear that this painting has brought Maude a hope that she desperately needed in her life. She "knows" that the painting is authentic just as much as Lionel "knows" that it's not. While she has reasons for her belief (some logical, some instinctual), they mean far less than the basic fact that she does truly believe; something that would have been nearly impossible were it not for the power of art.

While the two have their first impressions challenged, and in some cases shattered, they are able to develop a grudging respect, whether or not they eventually agree on the painting's provenance.

The set design by Vandy Wood is a masterpiece, and the lighting and sound designs by Kevin Griffin and George Hamrah were both subtle, but highly effective.

If you love art, in any form, and appreciate the power it can have to transform the lives of those that embrace it, get your tickets to Orlando Shakespeare's BAKERSFIELD MIST now by visiting their website, or by calling 407-447-1700.

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Are you still replaying threads from BAKERSFIELD MIST in your mind days after you saw it? Let me know what you are still thinking about in the comments below, or by "Liking" and following BWW Orlando on Facebook and Twitter using the buttons below.

You can also chat with me about the show on Twitter @BWWMatt. If you want to follow along with my "366 in 366" articles, you can check out #BWW366in366 on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Orlando Shakespeare

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