Description

Arthur Franklin is dangerously depressed. His boss has just fired him, his wife is filing for divorce. Emotionally disoriented, he wanders into an art gallery only to be overwhelmed by The Seduction of Chaos, a gigantic modern art work of hypnotic intensity. He is joined by Jackie, a good-hearted female gallery guard eager for someone to talk with. Kristina Lambrisi, the paintinges evocative but unstable creator, appears. The Seduction of Chaos, Arthur learns, depicts her horror as a young child in having witnessed the murder of her parents at the hands of a knife-wielding fanatic. Seductive and alluring, Kristina plays upon Arthures vulnerability and commands him to exorcise the searing images of her parentse savage death by destroying the painting. Raging against a world that has devalued him, Arthur slashes the canvas. Jackie threatens to call security, but Kristina offers to buy Jackiees silence with a briefcase filled with thousands of dollars. All Jackie needs to do is remain a silent witness. Does everyone have a price The epaintinge is the fourth-wall, described by the characters only. Area staging. Approximate running time: 30 to 45 minutes.