“Life is short, but sometimes art takes a long time,” says Devon O’Brien of her new work, American Portraits. “I wrote the first draft of this play when my son Tom began Kindergarten at Larchmont Charter School. This fall, he started at Cleveland High School.” Based on years of research, American Portraits is an imaginary marriage of the images of celebrated American portraitist, John Singer Sargent, and the speeches of his contemporary and friend, the obscure American playwright Clyde Fitch. Set in a contemporary museum, the play has visiting museum patrons talk of  love and passion, marriage and divorce as they walk the gallery, their talk also resonating with the portrait characters hanging in the gallery. Sargent steps out of the frame, as does his most famous and beauteous sitter, Madame X (Amelie Gautreau) to weigh in, melding contemporary and historic characters and ideas.
O’Brien is a Larchmont resident and writer who has had her work appear in Vogue, the Huffington Post, The Los Angeles Times and the Larchmont Buzz.  American Portraits has been workshopped and read at venues in Lenox Mass, London and Los Angeles. Â
This reading will feature actors Nick D’Agosto, John Apicella, JD Cullum, Eve Gordon, Shannon Lee Clair, Kate Maher, Rob Nagel, Delilah Napier, Ann Noble, Ramon de Ocampo, Jeremy Rabb, Kitty Swink and Joanna Strapp.  “I’m thrilled to have the play land at the distinguished classical theatre company, the Antaeus Company in North Hollywood,” O’Brien said.Â
American Portraits Wednesday, October 29 @ 7 pm The Antaeus Company 5112 Lankershim Blvd North Hollywood, CA 91601