The Art of Painting

Mark Chrisler’s solo piece promises a gripping historical narrative of intrigue and forgery. The Art of Painting traces the career of Dutch master Johannes Vermeer in tandem with that of 20th-century archforger Han van Meegeren, who passed off a fake Vermeer to Nazi leader Hermann Göring during World War II. Although Chrisler’s script is well-written, his turn as a professor strikes an awkward balance between highbrow stand-up comedy and a brashly embellished art-history seminar. In addition, the occasional bit of overwrought syntax makes it hard to relate to the man onstage, who neither addresses us directly nor engages fully with the dramatic potential of his material. Though the lecture is eloquent, the format dilutes the exciting possibilities of the story. Like van Meegeren’s canvases, the whole package is anything but authentic. (Visit our Fringe Festival page for more reviews, and fringenyc.org for more information.)—Vanessa Thill