By Liz Bowling 
Photos by Karen Rourke

Vincent, The Story of a Hero

Is the name of the play in which Leonard Nimoy performs as Theo van Gogh and Vincent van Gogh. He produced the play, directed and wrote it and performed in it. He already had played many 'lost souls' as McMurphy (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Ralphie (Awake and Sing), LeFranc (Deathwatch), Goldman (The Man in the Glass Booth)... As Ralphie ith the age of 17 he could convey to an audience a "universal truth". This shy young man had found a way to communicate, through another's words, what he felt what he could not convey himself.
Leaving Boston he 'corrected' the Boston accent and got his first lead with the age of 20 in "Kid Monk Baroni". The film played in Grand Pioria for three days.

In 1954 Leonard Nimoy married actress Sandi Zober. Later on he played heavies, sympathetic characters in 'Dr. Kildare' a. o. and became famous by playing 'Mr. Spock'. Being a man of many talents (besides being a poet, photographer, writer, vocalist, composer, pilot and director...he rebuilt much of the furniture in his own home), he cares a lot about his fans. The real Leonard Nimoy is shown in his poetry.

Mr. Nimoy believes that both are heroes, as they did the impossible against all the odds. Vincent produced over 1800 pieces in about 12 years. Theo says in the play about his brother: "He strived to accomplish noble things for mankind... and he did."

"Vincent, The Story of a Hero" was adapted by Leonard Nimoy from the play "Van Gogh" by Phillip Stephens. The one person play he first read around 1976 and said: "I laughed and I cried. I knew I wanted to do it." and bought the rights for the play. Then he took it on a trial run of four cities in 1978 premiering in Sacramento, CA, May, 18.

The play which received good reviews was performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Portland. Don McLean's song "Starry, Starry Night " opened the second act. Being so impressed of the performance the Guthrie Theatre decided to sponsor the tour for a national tour.
Planned to be a play out of a "suitcase" using local desks and equipment now weighed 2,000 pounds because the same easel, bench, desks, rug, chairs, slight projector etc.. were used. Changes were implemented to even better understand the tortured genius. And he performed in his home town again – for the first time after he had left Boston with 18 years of age.

The L'Arlesienne Suite by Bizet replaced "Starry, Starry Night" because the device had drawn to much attention away from the play.
Some 25 cities hosted the play which revealed that Vincent was not mad but epileptic. Having read more than 500 of the letters Theo and Vincent wrote each other, Leonard had been well prepared before re- writing the play and convinced the audience with a brilliant performance about the true men behind the famous painter and his brother.