to the yellow house

By Kimber Lee
Originally Produced at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, CA




February 1886. Vincent Van Gogh is broke again. Trailing past-due notices and annoyed innkeepers, he arrives unexpectedly at his brother’s doorstep in Montmartre determined to make another fresh start. Caught in the colorful whirl of the Parisian art scene, he drinks too much, falls in love with the wrong woman, argues with everyone – and paints. Night and day he works to translate what he feels onto the canvas, relentlessly chasing a new form of expression that seems to be always around the next corner. But at what point in an endless cycle of failures do faith and persistence become delusion and foolishness? A meditation on love, art and not being popular.

Artistic Statement: La Jolla Playhouse and the Edgerton Foundation share a deep commitment to the development of new work. We are truly grateful for their support that will provide crucial additional rehearsal time for two exhilarating new works: Lauren Yee’s Mother Russia – a comedy about dealing with newfound freedom in 1990s Russia – and Kimber Lee’s to the yellow house, a riveting piece about an artist on the cusp of finding his brilliance. - Christopher Ashley, the Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse

Grant Statement: The Edgerton Foundation has long supported new work at the Playhouse in extraordinary, tangible ways, giving playwrights and directors invaluable extra time to hone their pieces. We applaud their dedication to helping theatres around the country develop new plays and musicals for the American theatre canon. - Debby Buchholz, Managing Director of La Jolla Playhouse

Director: Neel Keller