The fascinating relationship between Vincent and Rachel we never knew. Imaginative, engaging and beautifully done!

In keeping with his nature as an artist, Vincent Van Gogh refers to Paul Gauguin by invoking colors. It is Gauguin's treatment of him and his disdain for Van Gogh's work that drives him to cut off his ear. Rachel's love for him doesn't dissuade him from doing so. The characters of Vincent and Rachel are well balanced in their strength and in their ability to argue with one another. Donna's use of a hand mirror is an excellent prop in this scene. Rachel's reaction to potential violence and rape is one that reflects her world, not ours.

Taut, raw. Hoke - a master at unearthing hidden depths and dimensions of her characters and interesting scenarios - here turns her gaze onto Vincent Van Gogh in his darkest moment. This is an intimate play, and just because we know what's coming - "Where is my ear?" - Hoke makes us feel like we're truly there, and seeing what actually happened. She takes a historical detail virtually the entire world knows and finds the heartache and the humanity within.