←Recommendations of Art Duty

A dark and wry meditation on the role of Art and the struggle to survive in a totalitarian dystopia. For all the darkness, and there is some dark stuff in Art Duty, the wit of this work is striking, What this melding of darkness and humor leads to is a fascinating conceit brilliantly realized.

Daniel Prillaman is so skillful at creating worlds. The world of Art Duty is no different. It's eccentric, yet cold. Darkly humorous. I am still laughing at the art critics scene and encourage anyone looking for a comedic monologue for auditions to consider the Critic #1 speech! This play is so good, college students should be writing essays on it-- in a good way! I am in love!

Yes, yes, yes! I'm here for this script. I need to see it produced. The duality is scrumptious. The Rich Lovers scene, the scene in the cafe, people dying off stage, everyone wanting to kill themselves (almost)... again, I am here for this script. What is art? This. I'm gonna say, it's this. But that's just me talking. Experience this and muse on art yourself.

The sudden violence in this piece makes me think of the excellent film Children of Men. The comedy reminds me of Urinetown. But this play is uniquely its own. I would never think a tense dystopian piece would suddenly mention vore--that sent me cackling. Prillaman is a master craftsman, deftly weaving tension and release at all the best moments, never letting you guess when the comedy might turn explosive or devastating. Art, even vapid, stupid art, can save us. It's a respite from that desire to die. What lengths do we go to protect it? To admire it? To live?

The world of Art Duty is fictional (sort of) and familiar (completely) because of Prillaman's delicate control over the piece and the tiny scraps of information we can wring from this tight script rife with dry humor. Here we're given scenes, tidbits, thoughts, and moments to consider. No answers (the security isn't here to give answers, after all) but I don't think you'd want them. Real art is for art's sake, real art owes you nothing. Real art exists and this is a play that truly just exists in the most brilliant of ways.

How does art mutate under capitalism?

The world Prillaman creates stretches this concept to the extreme—to uncomfortable, comedic, and horrifying ends—yet it’s not too far removed from our own.

There is a hypnotic rhythm to the scenes. Even when they result in absurd acts of violence, the chiming of the clock propels you forward into the next. And the characters—a dazzling assortment of people with a variety of memorable entrances and exits—make it come to life in the most spectacular way.

ART DUTY is sure to stay with you long after you’ve read it.