The Collaboration (play)
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London
| The Collaboration | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Anthony McCarten |
| Date premiered | 12 February 2022 |
| Place premiered | The Young Vic London |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Painting, art, fashion, race, homosexuality, NYC |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | 1984 New York City |
The Collaboration is a dramatic stage play written by New Zealand playwright Anthony McCarten. The play originated in the West End at The Young Vic in London. The original production starred Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol and Jeremy Pope as Jean-Michel Basquiat. The story, set in New York in 1984, centers around the collaboration between Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat and their new exhibition.[1] The production transferred on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre in a co-production with the Manhattan Theatre Club and the Young Vic Theatre, starting on 29 November 2022, and ending in February 2023.
The show revolves around the painter and artist Andy Warhol, whose career is falling, and his relationship with the up-and-coming artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Together, they agree to collaborate on a new art exhibit.
Background
The play was written by the British playwright Anthony McCarten and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah. It is the second of what McCarten calls his "Worship Trilogy", works that explore the collective fascination with religion, art and money. The first in the installment was his 2019 film The Two Popes starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The final installment of the "Worship Trilogy" is Wednesday at Warren's, Friday at Bill's, the upcoming McCarten-scripted adaptation about the meetings between Warren Buffett and Bill Gates that led to the establishment of The Giving Pledge, which encourages extraordinarily wealthy people to give their fortunes to philanthropic causes.[2]
Cast and characters
| Role | London | Broadway |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | ||
| Andy Warhol | Paul Bettany | |
| Jean-Michel Basquiat | Jeremy Pope | |
| Bruno Bischofberger | Alec Newman | Erik Jensen |
| Maya | Sofia Barclay | Krysta Rodriguez |
Productions
London (2022)
The play originated in the West End written by McCarten and directed by Kwei-Armah; the production opened in previews at the Young Vic in London in February 2022 and ended its run in April.[citation needed]
Broadway (2022)
The production made its New York stage debut on Broadway presented by the Manhattan Theatre Club and directed by Kwei-Armah with Bettany and Pope reprising their roles at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater with previews beginning on 29 November 2022, and an opening night on 18 December. It closed on 11 February 2023.[3]