'The Collaboration': Warhol vs. Basquiat

‘THE COLLABORATION’: Paul Bettany & Jeremy Pope. Photo: © Jeremy Daniel, 2022. Scenic & costume design by Anna Fleischle.

THE COLLABORATION
Written by Anthony McCarten
Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah
Through February 11, 2023
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre 
261 West 47th Street
(212-239-6200), www.manhattantheatreclub.com 

By David NouNou

When one sees The Collaboration, keep in mind that, for dramatic purposes, this play is an abbreviated, slightly altered, condensed time frame of two art giants Andy Warhol (Paul Bettany) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeremy Pope) to fit the parameters of a stage play and still make it interesting for the general public, some of whom might not be familiar with art, the artists and their individual or collaborative work.

Warhol and Basquiat were introduced by art dealer, Bruno Bischofberger (Erik Jensen), in 1982 and had a tumultuous friendship with many ups and downs that lasted for many years. They spent a lot of time together, working out, painting and going to parties together and many collaborative art pieces until their 1985 joint exhibition Paintings, shown at the Tony Shafrazi Gallery in New York that was slammed by critics and torn apart by the media. This ultimately was the final rift that practically all but ended their relationship.

As playwright Anthony McCarten writes it, Bischofberger worked with and displayed both artists. He indeed brought the two together because Basquiat was on the rise with his raw-energy paintings and Warhol was on the decline due to his repetitious lithographs. Although the two had nothing in common, Bischofberger thought a collaboration between the two would benefit both and leave a lasting legacy for the art world to enjoy.

McCarten shows the slow argumentative start between the two and a lot of the play centers around them asking each other questions of what art means to each of them. This is displayed by the films and pictures Warhol took of Basquiat’s art process, and Basquiat forcing Warhol to start painting again after 25 years of not touching a brush. With this process, they built a deep and meaningful friendship that intersected with their personal lives. This is where one of Basquiat’s girlfriends, Maya (Krysta Rodriguez), is introduced.

Upon hearing of the death of fellow artist Michael Stewart by police officers for painting graffiti, Basquiat is overwhelmed and is about to resort to heroin use again only to be intervened by Warhol after a fight they had earlier. This is when Warhol returns and becomes the father figure to encourage him to paint together and release their emotions.

The key performance here is Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol. He is iconic, consistent, absorbing, fascinating and intimately raw.

Jeremy Pope has the harder part, that of the rebellious Black artist who has hit it big in the art world because of his unconventional work. He comes across as petulant and, at times, childlike because of his young age. When the two met he was only 22. Mr. Pope has proven his talents in both The Choir Boy and Ain’t Too Proud, earning him two Tony Award nominations in the same year. However, his performance here is gripping at times but mostly inconsistent.

For art connoisseurs, The Collaboration may be a fond remembrance of these two artists. For most theatregoers, it will be an interesting viewing of two formidable, diametrically opposed artists having mutual respect for each other, their works, and their common grounds.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published January 6, 2023
Reviewed at January 5, 2023 press performance.