This is a multi-media presentation featuring art projections, music, and two actors who portray Whistler and the
four women who were integral to his world.
Rarely have subject and style been as entertainingly fused as in this portrayal of the incomparable, indomitable
painter. It was said of him, “All he lacked was a stage".
We say—“Better late than never!”
Spoiled by a mother whose portrait made him famous, Whistler lived with a series of women, all of whom gave
him the demanded attention to which he had become accustomed. This exhilarating journey, illustrated with his
paintings, drawings, etchings and photographs, tells the story of his relationships with four key women who
enabled Whistler to become one of the most original and influential geniuses of the modern age.
Two actors dressing in period costumes, and affecting the accents, English, Irish, French, Scottish, of their
characters, capture Whistler’s genius and foibles, the times he lived in, the critics he battled, the women who
loved him and how their love affected and shaped him as a man and as an artist.
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“Like Whistler, Anderson’s portrayal of him is mesmerizing”
...San Leandro Times, CA
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Victorian dandy, publicity seeking gadfly, and artistic provocateur par excellance, Whistler could easily be
considered the Grand-Daddy of all of today’s modern performance artists with his flamboyant dress, innovative
art and in-your-face attitude. His ostentatious costumes, his monocle, and innovative installations of his art were
not simply exhibitionistic, but designed to draw attention to his art and to sell what he considered ART.
Although the subject of numerous books and detailed studies, he remains an enigma. Whistler was an often
difficult and tormented man who hid his vulnerability behind a foppish façade, refusing to compromise his
values, despite ridicule and bankruptcy. Whistler was arguably one of the most misunderstood and most
influential artists of his day. A genius whose personal behavior continues to overshadow his achievements.
This production shines with the same unshakable confidence and élan that made Whistler such a fascinating
and controversial personality of his time and is as flamboyant and vigorous as the life of the legendary Whistler
himself. James Whistler, through this performance "ArtPiece”, now emerges as a more complex and poignantly
compelling figure than ever before.
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“I highly recommend that theater and art lovers see this visually
compelling and thoroughly entertaining performance ArtPiece"
...Trinity Journal, CA
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American Legends Theatre Works
530.243.9945
americanlegends@sbcglobal.net
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