While Vincent is a one man show, brilliantly acted by Leonard Nimoy, Leonard plays both Theo and Vincent, not just Theo. He achieved the the contrast between the two brothers by a simple change of coats, a suit coat for Theo, a rough peasant coat for Vincent. Theo's words were spoken mostly in front of a desk on stage right, sometimes in the center of the two picture screens that showed Van Gogh paintings. Vincent spoke stage left in an artist's room, easel, rough table and stool. While Theo was an urbane gentleman, and Vincent, a troubled artist,Leonard slipped easily between the two very different roles.
I was with the show from the start as lighting designer for the stage version and consultant for the taped version. Frankly, in my many years in the theatre, working with Leonard Nimoy, and working on Vincent, was one of my favorite experiences. Watching Leonard in the production night after night was something special. And while the filmed version is good, the stage version was excellent.
