Courthouse to Present Leonard Nimoy's Acclaimed 'Vincent' This Month

For three performances only, the Courthouse Center for the Arts in West Kingston will feature Leonard Nimoy’s Vincent, presented by Starry Night Theater Company on Jan. 18 and 19. 

The one-man play about artist Vincent van Gogh, written by Leonard Nimoy and performed by professional actor James Briggs, has been delighting audiences throughout New England.

The passion, the love and the tormented beauty of the life of Vincent van Gogh is dramatized in this intimate one-man play, which author Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek’s Mr. Spock) adapted from hundreds of letters between Vincent and his closest ally, his brother, Theo. In Vincent’s lifetime, he sold only one painting, for four hundred francs. His critics labeled his work “madness” in which “blood and fire appear to have usurped the place of color.”  But his story is much more than that of the misunderstood genius who cut off his own ear. His life was one of great passions, and even greater turmoil, ultimately ending in suicide one summer day in 1890.  

In this production, which BroadwayWorld.com described as “enlightening and enjoyable” and said “is not to be missed”, Briggs movingly reveals Vincent van Gogh as few knew him. Most of the story is told by Theo, but at times, Briggs becomes Vincent and embodies the loving, passionate, combative, fierce, stubborn, outrageous, exasperating, moody, amazing, and brilliant man so cherished by his brother. The performance will also include more than 100 stunning projections of Vincent’s artwork on a large screen.  

Vincent Director, Dr. Brant Pope, has a 30-year career in both professional and academic theatre and has directed more than 100 productions. He is currently the chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Texas at Austin and is holder of the Z .T. Scott Family Chair. He has directed at such theatres as Hartford Stage Company, The John Houseman Theatre, Tennessee Repertory Theatre, and Park Square Theatre. For eleven years, he served as director of the FSU Asolo Conservatory, and associate artistic director of the Asolo Theatre Company in Sarasota, Florida.

James Briggs is the actor and founder of Starry Night Theater Company. He has acted in regional theaters such as The Sun Valley Repertory Company, The Asolo Theater, The Williamstown Theater Festival, and the Potomac Theater Project. He is a graduate of The Asolo Conservatory of Professional Actor Training in Sarasota, Florida.

Vincent runs approximately 100 minutes, including a ten-minute intermission.  While appropriate for all audiences, it is best suited for adults and children ages 10 and up. 

Performances of Vincent will take place at The Courthouse Center for the Arts Blackbox Theatre, 3481 Kingstown Road, West Kingston. Performances are Saturday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 19 at 2 p.m. All tickets are $20. 

To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the Courthouse Center for the Arts Box Office at (401) 782-1018 or online at www.courthousecenterstage.org. Tickets will also be available at the door, subject to availability.