Looking at art in a museum can pull you into a rabbit hole of thoughts and feelings, but having an actor tell you the story behind the painting might help. That’s what’s happening at “Museum Plays.” Miami New Drama is performing short plays around artworks inside Miami’s Rubell Museum. Take a look.
Jason Alexander (as George Costanza): “‘Cause she shushed you while you were watching TV.”
Jerry Seinfeld (as Jerry Seinfeld): “Hey, I got a real thing about shushing.”
Jerry Seinfeld gets it. No one likes to get shushed.
At Miami’s Rubell Museum, there won’t be any shushing going on, because when art and theater collide to bring you “Museum Plays,” the louder the better.
Michel Hausmann, creator: “‘Museum Plays’ is an experiment where we paired five world-class playwrights with five of the most iconic American artists of the Rubell collection.”
Miami New Drama founder Michel Hausmann says he wanted to attract people for a perfect date night. You get to impress with food, drinks and actors explaining paintings to you.
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Michel Hausmann: “This is a great gateway to understanding a little bit more about art. Each of them is completely different from one another. Some of them are very funny, some of them are moving, some of them are both.”
People are split into guided groups to watch each 10-minute play in different rooms.
Carmen Pelaez: “It’s contemporary art, nobody understands it.”
Writer and actor Carmen Pelaez picked “America,” a piece in black neon light.
Carmen Pelaez: “I had the hardest time writing this 10-minute play than I’ve had writing feature plays sometimes. But Michel, again, to his credit, really pushed all of the playwrights.”
Actor Caleb Scott paired with “Bedfellows.”
Caleb Scott: “My first feeling was kind of mirrored by the reaction of the character in the play. Because, you know, it’s a mattress.”
It’s not Posturepedic, that’s for sure. But Mr. and Mrs. Rubell did have this made for their 50th anniversary, and it’s based on their own bed.
Caleb Scott: “Once you learn the history of the piece and the history of the artist, it takes on many deeper meanings.”
The immersive experience is limited to 175 people, and it’s only happening Thursday through Sunday.
By the way, getting people to have a palette of emotion is key.
Carmen Pelaez: “The response has been really positive. There was one gentleman that was like, ‘Well, I don’t agree at all,’ and I was like, ‘Well, fine.’ We need that diversity of thought, whether we agree with it or not.”
“Museum Plays” will be at the Rubell Museum until March 31.
FOR MORE INFO:
“Museum Plays”
Rubell Museum Miami
1100 NW 23 St.
Miami, FL 33127
rubellmuseum.org/miami
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