First, he falls for Eugenie Loyer, a teacher who promptly rejects him for another. Then his affections migrate to Eugenie’s mother, Ursula, a widow twice his age.
For Director Susan Coromel, what follows is a “delicate story of loneliness and awakenings.”
Written by Nicolas Wright, the play is rooted in fact. Van Gogh did live in a boarding house in the London suburb of Brixton. The widow Ursula Loyer ran the house, and van Gogh fell in love with her daughter, Eugenie, who thwarted his advances.
From there, the play takes on a life of its own — fueling the imaginations of audience members.
“We become voyeurs as we learn the secrets of the Loyer household,” Coromel says. “We get to observe, first hand, van Gogh’s journey as his destructive nature begins to take hold.”
Tickets
“Vincent in Brixton” is showing in the Willamette University Pelton Theatre Feb. 18-27. Thursday through Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and matinees begin at 2 p.m. Feb. 21 and 27.
Tickets cost $12 for general admission, $10 for seniors 65 and older, and $8 for Willamette students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the door, by calling the WU Theatre Box Office at 503-370-6221 or by email at thtr-tix@willamette.edu.
