Spring is around the corner, but I find March the toughest month to survive. So here are a few suggestions that can distract you. Running through April 17 is Bedlam Theatre's terrific production of "Sense and Sensibility." Set in a small 134 person space that used to be a gym, the company makes the most of the small space. The cast is nimble, funny and talented. Despite the familiarity of the story--and what Jane Austin fan doesn't know all the characters and story--this is a refreshing take on a classic.
Another option is the Tacita Dean exhibit "my English breath in foreign clouds" at the Marian Goodman Gallery on 57th Street. I first encountered Dean's work at the Tate Modern in London. She has a lovely sense of space, color and moment. This series was done during her residence at the Getty in Los Angeles and represents LA skies.
Tacita Dean's "Clouds" at the Marian Goodman Gallery.
Playing at the Film Society Lincoln Center "Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict" is a revelation of history, money and a woman who broke all the rules. The niece of Solomon Guggenheim, Peggy sought her own path in the art world. A true pioneer and supporter of modern art, she supported and slept with most of the 20th Century's great artists. The documentary is basically narrated by Guggenheim herself. Her biographer found the original interview tapes and her own voice and stories tell her remarkable tale.
Finally, one exhibit that has closed, but I yearn to know more about the artist Paula Modersohn-Becker (1875-1907). Unknown in her lifetime, she became that rare famous female painter who breaks through the clutter. Her portraits and etchings taken on family and children, but her life parallels Guggenheim in her refusal to follow a familiar path.
Tacita Dean "my English breath in foreign clouds."
Marian Goodman Gallery, 24 W. 57th Street, NY, NY
"Sense and Sensibility"
Bedlam Theater through April 17
The Gym at Judson, NY, NY
243 Thompson Street
"Peggy Guggenheim Art Addict"
The Unbelievable True Story of One of the Most Colorful Figures of Modern Art
