‘The Collaboration’ Review: Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope Can’t Make Drama Out of This Bio
variety.comDavid Benedict At the start of the second half of Anthony McCarten’s art-world bio-drama “The Collaboration,” the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s agent finds himself alone on the scrappy sofa of Basquiat’s New York City studio — and unearths a syringe.
A frown floods the agent’s face. The moment lands because it’s a warning that Basquiat is using again but, more importantly and perilously late, it’s the play’s first genuinely theatrical moment: We finally sense something without dialogue instructing us.
The show has a wearying degree of tell-don’t-show, and even strong performances, including turns by Jeremy Pope as Basquiat and Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol, can’t stop it feeling more bio than drama.
The first act is a set-up, in every sense. Not only is Bruno Bischofberger (nicely determined Alec Newman) the agent for Basquiat, but he also represents Warhol and, in successive scenes, he lies to each of them about their supposed admiration of one other.
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