SUNDAY, ARTS FEBRUARY 10, 2019 G COURANT.COM / ARTS

HOME AT HEART ‘Detroit ’67’ at Hartford Stage highlights family’s love during turbulent times

By Christopher Arnott place in a basement of an after- hours club run by a widowed ade King Carroll is home mother named ‘Chelle and her again. younger brother Lank during the J The director of “De- hot summer of what is often called troit ’67” likes to direct “the Detroit Riot” or “the Detroit plays about “family and home,” she Rebellion.” That intense five-day says, describing the Dominique period of protests, confrontations Morisseau drama next up at Hart- and violence resulted in dozens of ford Stage as being about “people deaths, thousands of arrests and taking care of each other” during hundreds of burning buildings. It turbulent times. began with altercations following a Hartford Stage is sort of a sec- police raid on an after-hours club. ond home for Carroll. This is the In Morisseau’s play, ‘Chelle and third show she’s done at the thea- T. CHARLES ERICKSON PHOTOS Lank and the friends, plus a myste- ter in the past three seasons. The TOP LEFT: Nyahale Allie and Johnny Ramey. TOP MIDDLE: Nyahale rious visitor, hunker down in the others, which both played Hartford Allie. TOP RIGHT: Myxolydia Tyler and Will Cobbs. ABOVE: Nyahale basement while violence erupts in 2016, were “Having Our Say: The Allie and Myxolydia Tyler. outside. Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years,” a What’s important to Carroll is co-production with New Haven’s Long Wharf Theatre; and August that the characters in the plays she directs seem at home. For “Detroit Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” a co-production with the McCarter The- ’67” that means, as Morisseau describes it in her stage directions, “an atre in Princeton, N.J. unfinished basement, but efforts have been made to make it look invit- “Detroit ’67” is yet another co-production – it was at the McCarter ing. … A string of Christmas lights lies on an old shabby couch.” this past fall, and arrives in Hartford with the same cast and creative “The biggest difference” in the show after moving from the Mc- team. Carter to Hartford Stage, Carroll says, is “going from a proscenium to a The drama, which opens Feb. 14 and runs through March 10, takes Turn to Stage,PageG6

A feminist, surreal twist on an old tale at Wadsworth Atheneum By Susan Dunne That painting, in the that Smith wants to chal- when the language of op- Wadsworth Atheneum’s lenge. Traditional male pression was perfected, and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s collection since 1961, is the domination in the art world it becomes the newly blank “The Lady of Shalott” tells inspiration for the newest has embedded depictions of page upon which new the story of a woman held exhibit in the Hartford women that are difficult to things are written.” captive in a tower near museum’s contemporary- shake off, says the artist, A key painting in Smith’s Camelot who is forbidden art series MATRIX. whose work often com- exhibit is “Unruly Thread,” to look out the window. She The artist behind that ments on sex and gender an image of a needle, with only can look in the mirror exhibit, Emily Mae Smith, with satire, in the traditions yarn wound around it, the at reflections of outdoor has been fascinated by of symbolism, surrealism, same color and pattern as activity and weave what she Hunt’s painting for years and pop. the weaving threads wound sees. If she looks directly and wanted to respond to it “There’s this condition of around Hunt’s Lady. outside, she will be cursed. with a feminist interpreta- women not being able to “It’s an art form, but it’s Tennyson’s mythical tion. render what they see. They entangling her and destroy- ballad inspired several “She’s trapped in a tower, have to do it through the ing her,” she says, adding paintings by Pre-Raphaelite unable to interact with the lens of another,” she says. that her images “are unrav- artists, including William world. … She’s bound to “With the Pre-Rapha- eling myths that are bad, Holman Hunt, who spent domesticity. That’s both elites and symbolists, it was that bind.” spent decades perfecting fascinating and terrifying to one of the last times that “Brooms with a View” his interpretation of the me,” says Smith, who lives figurative images were depicts two anthropomor- Lady. Hunt’s Lady is sur- in Brooklyn, N.Y. This is allegorical in a way that was phic brooms at two round rounded by symbolic, Bibli- Smith’s first solo exhibit in purposefully so. There was windows, outside of which cal and Arthurian imagery the U.S. It runs through a kind of code getting really is the same countryside and is wound up in multi- May 5. nailed down that carries seen outside the window in COURTESY OF SIMONE SUBAL GALLERY, NEW YORK colored threads from her It’s not only the painting, through even in the subtext Emily Mae Smith’s painting titled “The Drawing Room” loom. but the history of art itself, of 20th-century art. That’s Turn to Exhibit, Page G3 (2018 oil on linen). THE HARTFORD COURANT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2019 G3 ARTS Yale’s Claudia Rankine to open poetry fest

By Susan Dunne tions of racial differences. On June 19, Rankine will Poet Claudia Rankine, be preceded by poet Emily the MacArthur Foundation Skillings and the Jeff Barn- “genius grant” winner who hart duo will perform. teaches poetry at Yale, will The other headliners in launch the 27th annual the festival are: Sunken Garden Poetry t “Lighthead” author Festival at Hill-Stead Muse- Terrance Hayes on July 10. um in Farmington, which That evening will feature opens June 19 and features music by Jeff Burnham and five evenings of readings, the Insiders. ending on Aug. 11. t “A Celebration of Indian Rankine, of New Haven, Poetry and Culture” with has published five collec- Aimee Nezhukumatathil tions of poetry, including and Rajiv Mohabir on July the “Citizen: An American 21, with Indian music. Lyric,” which won the Na- t “Poetry of Our World” tional Book Critics Circle with Mai Der Vang and Award for Poetry and is the Chris Abani on July 31, with only poetry book to be a world music by Criollo New York Times best-seller Classic Trio. in the nonfiction category. t “Young Poets Day” with She also has written two Elizabeth Acevedo on Aug. plays and numerous video 11, with Fresh Voices Stu- collaborations and has dent Poetry Contest win- edited several literary an- ners and music by Merritt thologies. Gibson. In addition to her “genius Poetry writing work- grant,” Rankine has re- shops also will be held in ceived the Bobbitt National connection with the festival. Prize for Poetry, Poets & Admission to each evening Writers’ Jackson Poetry is $15 in advance, $20 at the Prize and fellowships from gate, free for ages 17 and the Guggenheim Founda- younger. The Hill-Stead tion, the Lannan Founda- Museum is at 35 Mountain tion, United States Artists Road in Farmington. hill and the National Endow- stead.org. ment of the Arts. She is the co-founder of the Racial Susan Dunne can be Imaginary Institute, which reached at sdunne@ JOHN D. AND CATHERINE T. MACARTHUR PHOTO works to change percep- courant.com Yale poetry Professor Claudia Rankine will open the 2019 Sunken Garden Poetry Festival.

THE ARTS IN BRIEF ‘Anastasia’ ending $171,750 to 12 projects state- t Florence Griswold Mu- Broadway run wide. The organizations seum in Old Lyme, $30,000 The long, magical jour- and awards are the follow- for “The Great Americans: ney of “Anastasia” is ending ing. For details, visit cthu- Portraits by Jac Lahav.” manities.org. t Keeler Tavern Preserva- —on Broadway, at least. t The musical about a Durham Public Library, tion Society in Ridgefield, young woman impersonat- $6,750 for a marketing $9,990 for visitor research ing a princess had its pre- assessment and brand and analysis. strategy project. t Weston Historical Soci- Broadway try-out at Hart- t ford Stage in 2016. The Fairfield Historical Soci- ety, $8,000 for the Coley Broadway run will end ety, $9,980 for strategic Homestead Interpretative March 31 at the Broadhurst planning for the Fairfield and Wayfinding Program. Theatre in New York, just Museum. t Hill-Stead Museum in Arts-hero over two years after it had nominations its first performances there Farmington, $20,000 for the 2019 Sunken Garden The 2019 Connecticut in March of 2017. Arts Hero Awards will be Two lead cast members Poetry Festival. t Bill Memorial Library in handed out on May 1 at a — Christy Altomare as ceremony at 6 p.m. at Infin- Anya/Anastasia and John Groton, $5,891 for strategic planning. ity Music Hall in Hartford. Bolton as Vlad — were with t Members of the general the show in Hartford as Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford, $9,999 public are invited to nomi- well as for its entire Broad- nate members of the state’s way run, as were Molly for the Cultural Heritage Archive Project. arts community for the Rushing (who plays Ana- t award. The deadline is stasia at age 17) and en- Community Foundation of Middlesex County, March 28. semble member Janet The ceremony will pre- Dickinson. Constantine $17,500 for a documentary JOAN MARCUS cede Connecticut Arts Day, Germanacos, who played about Ann Petry and the Christy Altomare as Anya in “Anastasia” at Hartford Stage in 2016. The show went on to James family. a celebration of the state’s Tsar Nicholas II and Count t cultural communities, Ipolitov in Hartford, re- Broadway, where it will end an impressive two-year run in March. Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in New which will be May 2 in cently joined the Broadway New Haven. The arts day cast in the role of Gleb, the and a 1997 animated musi- during the 2016-17 Broad- tion opened in Madrid in Haven, $28,641 for the cal — enhanced with a great way season. Shows which October. That same month, exhibit “Ancient Mesopota- includes performances, Bolshevik general who panel discussions, work- chases Anastasia from deal of fresh material. The opened that season include “Anastasia”’s embarked on mia Speaks: Highlights book for the musical is by “Charlie and the Chocolate its first U.S. tour. In Novem- from the Yale Babylonian shops and the presentation Russia to France. of Connecticut Office of the “Anastasia” is directed by Terrence McNally, and the Factory,” “Groundhog Day,” ber, a German “Anastasia” Collection.” songs (including several “Bandstand,” “Amelie,” opened in Stuttgart. Fur- t Artspace in New Haven, Arts’ Lifetime Achievement Darko Tresnjak, who has Award. To nominate some- been artistic director of from the 1997 cartoon) are “Natasha, Pierre & the ther productions are $15,000 for the exhibit by Stephen Flaherty and Great Comet of 1812” and planned this year for The “Learning from the Black one for the Arts Hero Hartford Stage since 2011 Award, visit surveymon and will be relinquishing Lynn Ahrens. revivals of “Miss Saigon,” Netherlands and Mexico. Panther Trials, 50 Years With the exception of “Hello, Dolly” and “Cats.” Later.” key.com/r/2019CTArts that position in June. The t Hero. show is based on two fea- “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Anastasia” will live on, CT Humanities The International Festi- “Come From Away,” Ana- for years to come, in inter- grants vals of Arts & Ideas in New ture films — a 1956 drama — Christopher Arnott, starring Ingrid Bergman stasia” outlasted every national productions and Connecticut Humanities Haven, $9,999 for a com- other musical that opened tours. A Spanish produc- announced grants totaling munity impact assessment. Susan Dunne

Exhibit

Continued from Page G1 Hunt’s painting. One broom is pulling itself apart, what Smith calls “a deconstruc- tion, an unraveling.” “[In ‘The Lady of Shalott’], you gaze upon the window, you’re going to die or something horrible will happen. Here, the broom is gazing out and wants to be free,” she says. Smith was inspired by Disney’s “Fantasia” in cre- ating women in the guise of brooms, and she finds the removal of more realistic figures liberating. “I can speak about issues really differently than when I have someone that some- one recognizes,” she says. A third painting shows one of Smith’s anthropo- WADSWORTH ATHENEUM MUSEUM OF ART morphic forms looking into William Holman Hunt’s “The Lady of Shalott” is the inspira- a mirror and shrieking. “She tion for Emily Mae Smith’s exhibit in the Matrix gallery is screaming in either terror or joy or maybe both,” Hickson says Tennyson EMILY MAE SMITH / Smith said. and Hunt had another MATRIX 181 is at Smith and curator Patri- interpretation of “The Lady Wadsworth Atheneum cia Hickson chose other of Shalott,” focusing on the Museum of Art, 600 Main works for the 10-piece solitary existence of artists. St. in Hartford, until May 5. show that suggest that “The “An artist must create in A related talk, “Emily Mae Lady of Shalott” has influ- his studio or writing at his Smith and #MeToo,” will be enced Smith’s work for desk,” Hickson says. “It’s March 9 at 10 a.m. Curator years, whether she in- the lonely fate of those Patricia Hickson will give a tended it or not. These destined to be creative.” gallery talk on March 21 at include a figure gazing out Hunt’s “The Lady of noon. thewadsworth.org. of a fortress and a lone Shalott” is on exhibit on the figure in a room, looking second floor of the Morgan Susan Dunne can be out the window and cre- wing of the museum. reached at sdunne@courant COURTESY OF SIMONE SUBAL GALLERY, NEW YORK. ating artwork. .com. Emily Mae Smith’s “Unruly Thread,” 2019 oil on linen.