New play about Jackson Pollock’s wife is a tale of art and sacrifice
Helen Goldwyn stars in Lee at Park Theatre
Say the name Jackson Pollock and art lovers’ ears will prick up at the thought of the renowned artist’s groundbreaking work. But ask some of those same art connoisseurs to name his wife and far fewer people will know her name, let alone recall her artworks.
Yet Lee Krasner, who was married to Pollock, was an inspiring woman and a hugely talented artist, who was often overlooked and disregarded. It is to right this wrong that Cian Griffin has written the play Lee.
“Jackson Pollock was an alcoholic, but Lee recognised his artistic talent and chose to help him achieve fame and recognition, a her own personal cost.
“His work was revolutionary; he was part of the Drip Painting movement that shocked the world in the 1950s. Lee was not ego-driven; she wanted to push the new Abstract Impressionist Movement and she suffered as a result of her unselfishness,” says playwright Cian.
“But this play is not just about art. It is about sacrifice. What a person will do for a partner and living with the consequences of sacrifices. Lee could never, even after Pollock’s death, break free from being ‘Jackson Pollock’s wife’. It was always a struggle for her to be seen as an artist in her own right.”
The lead role of Lee is played by Jewish actress Helen Goldwyn and starring in the performance is very much a journey of discovery for her.
“I was thrilled to be offered the role,” says Helen. “My mother is an artist, and I studied art. And this is such an exciting role, a wonderful opportunity to play a strong and fascinating character. And I can relate to Lee, whose parents were Lithuanian Jews, although for Lee religion did not play a big part in her life.
“I am proud of my Jewish identity. When I was in the cast of Fiddler on the Roof at Regent’s Park, and we played the pogrom scene, I could feel the presence of the ancestors behind it. It gave me an extraordinary understanding of the past – of how people are unfairly excluded. My Jewishness is something that I feel has impacted on my career.
“As a Jew, I discovered it was sometimes hard to get auditions for parts because I did not fit in to archetypal roles. Sometimes I was asked to understudy the leading actresses but not offered the main lead.”
But this did not hinder the multi-talented Helen. She was offered some leading roles and she also created her own shows and composed music.
Helen’s theatre career has seen many iterations. An acclaimed performer, having had a successful career, she decided to prioritise her family and put acting career on hold. “I had to make sacrifices. As a parent I could not continue in performing arts, which is why I can relate to Lee’s struggle. She put her life on hold, and so did I. I sacrificed my own dreams.”
Award-winning Helen’s theatre journey turned in a different but equally successful direction. She has co-written over 20 scripts and directed over 300 episodes of the Dr Who spin-off audio series, working with David Tennant, Billie Piper, Sian Phillips, Warren Brown, Alex Kingston and Rufus Hound.
Helen is delighted to be returning to her first love, theatre acting, and says taking on the role of Lee has brought an unexpected bonus – namely it has set free her artistic creativity.
“I used to tend to draw very precisely, creating things like costume design. Now, having taken on this role, I feel liberated, and I am now looking forward to creating large bold, abstract artworks, where I can let my imagination and feelings run riot.”
Lee is at Park Theatre until 18 October. parktheatre.co.uk
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