WARHOLCAPOTE

April 18, 2022
In 1978, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote set out to write a Broadway play by recording their conversations—it never happened, but Broadway director Roth (The Art of Classic Rock) here uses the recordings to fashion an inventive if uneven stage play that inevitably favors dialogue over plot. There are a number of exciting exchanges: “Friendship is the perfect sort of trust and belief,” Capote says, and “If someone would really take care of Truman, he would be okay,” Warhol muses. Many names are dropped: Liza Minnelli is “wild!”; Tennessee Williams is spotted in a Key West bar; and Jackie Kennedy is “the world’s greatest female impersonator.” Following the play comes some “bonus” transcript material consisting of the artists’ thoughts on writing, sex, speaking engagements (“I do think one should do it once in a while,” Capote says), and New York City (“It changes so quickly. It just changes like that,” according to Warhol). Unfortunately, the back-and-forth often comes across as dry and navel-gazing on the page, lacking the dynamism of a live dialogue. Still, Capote and Warhol fanatics will relish “hearing” directly from the artists in this unique if not wholly successful endeavor.

Starred review from March 1, 2023

In 1978, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote decided to join forces and write a Broadway play. Tape-recorded conversations between the two would be the source material for their artistic experiment. The project was never completed, and the tapes were forgotten until Tony-nominated director Roth unearthed them in 2007. Roth adapted the recordings to create this play, using Warhol's and Capote's transcribed words. The conversations expose a warm relationship in which these two 20th-century creative giants gossip and discuss a range of topics, like sex, work, and worries. Their firsthand accounts are a revealing window into everything from Studio 54 to wrinkle bars. The audio is narrated by Roth, who provides stage directions to complete the scenes; he is joined by Dennis Boutsikaris, Dan Butler, and Stephen Spinella (Spinella and Butler starred in the original stage production). This work seems tailor-made for audio, taking the words from the page and creating an intimate atmosphere. Listeners may feel that they are right there with Warhol and Capote. VERDICT The narration of this play is tons of fun. Purchase multiple copies and give patrons an opportunity to relish this outstanding audio that brings two original pop icons to life.--Christa Van Herreweghe

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