Chaucer in Rome
Encyclopedia
Chaucer in Rome is a play
written by John Guare
. In some ways, it is a sequel to House of Blue Leaveshttp://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9800E6DC1F3FF93BA35755C0A9679C8B63.
during the Holy Year of Jubilee, which is extremely crowded with pilgrims seeking confession and absolution. The plot focuses on Matt, a celebrated painter who resides at the American Academy in Rome
with his lover, Sarah, and his best friend, Pete. Sarah and Pete are both scholars; Pete is analyzing sociopolitical themes in artistic depictions of Christ
's fingernails.
Matt has recently recovered from squamous cell carcinoma
, and Pete and Sarah are horrified to discover that Matt's cancer was caused by his deliberate use of carcinogenic chemicals in his paintings of beautiful landscapes, as a political statement on environmental pollution. Meanwhile, Pete's life is complicated by the arrival of his parents, Ron and Dolo. (Ron is a returning character who featured prominently in House of Blue Leaves.) Pete suggests that Matt change mediums, and eventually convinces him to try film. However, when Matt decides that his newest project will be to impersonate a priest and secretly videotape the confessions of pilgrims, the results threaten to drive Pete's already unstable parents over the edge.
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
written by John Guare
John Guare
John Guare is an American playwright. He is best known as the author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body...
. In some ways, it is a sequel to House of Blue Leaveshttp://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9800E6DC1F3FF93BA35755C0A9679C8B63.
Synopsis
The play is set in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
during the Holy Year of Jubilee, which is extremely crowded with pilgrims seeking confession and absolution. The plot focuses on Matt, a celebrated painter who resides at the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
with his lover, Sarah, and his best friend, Pete. Sarah and Pete are both scholars; Pete is analyzing sociopolitical themes in artistic depictions of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
's fingernails.
Matt has recently recovered from squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma , occasionally rendered as "squamous-cell carcinoma", is a histologically distinct form of cancer. It arises from the uncontrolled multiplication of malignant cells deriving from epithelium, or showing particular cytological or tissue architectural characteristics of...
, and Pete and Sarah are horrified to discover that Matt's cancer was caused by his deliberate use of carcinogenic chemicals in his paintings of beautiful landscapes, as a political statement on environmental pollution. Meanwhile, Pete's life is complicated by the arrival of his parents, Ron and Dolo. (Ron is a returning character who featured prominently in House of Blue Leaves.) Pete suggests that Matt change mediums, and eventually convinces him to try film. However, when Matt decides that his newest project will be to impersonate a priest and secretly videotape the confessions of pilgrims, the results threaten to drive Pete's already unstable parents over the edge.