Vincent John Doe

Vincent John Doe is a multi-discipline, Interactive Performance piece that asks the question, "What if Van Gogh was somehow transported to Manhattan today? As one might predict, people quickly decide he is "crazy" and he is petitioned into a mental institution. That is where much of Vincent John Doe is set. As Vincent navigates the mental health system he encounters therapists and fellow patients who make him, and us, question the "crazy artist" paradigm. VJD forces the question of how our society has come to define mental illness.

The performance includes live painting and live music that is integral to the story. VJD explores the differences between mental illness and the artistic temperament and what to do with those who refuse to conform to behaviors we consider "normal." The play explores the meaning of identity and the role of ego. It challenges our relationship with God and faith, while having the courage to speak to the world through one's art. What is the burden and responsibility of the artist, in terms of truth? How do we verify conflicting truths? To what moral imperative is the artist subject? What is the artist's place in the world of commerce and what is the measure success?