Why Lee Krasner? Cian Griffin talks Lee at the Park Theatre

OnBook Theatre’s new two-hander brings the Abstract Expressionist’s studio to the stage, blending recreated artworks with a taut conversation about originality, legacy and the cost of love. Runs 24 Sept–18 Oct (press night 30 Sept).

Why Lee Krasner, and why now? Playwright Cian Griffin on choosing the subject

When abstract expressionism makes the headlines, Jackson Pollock usually gets the billing. Lee turns the canvas around. Written by Cian Griffin and directed by Jason Moore, the Park90 premiere centres Pollock’s wife and fellow artist Lee Krasner in 1969, thirteen years after his death. A young art student, Hank, arrives at her Long Island studio with questions, ambition and a rolled canvas he says came from Pollock himself. What begins as a portfolio chat becomes a taut reckoning with truth, authorship and how history is written.

Griffin says the decision was deliberate: “We researched several artists and we settled on Lee Krasner because she had a fascinating life but is also largely unknown to a wider audience. We watched the 2000 film Pollock directed by Ed Harris and we thought Lee deserved more attention. We wanted to know what happened to her after Pollock’s death.”

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Conversation as form: shaping biography without the lecture

Rather than march through milestones, Lee unfolds as a single, high-stakes encounter. The form is the point, says Griffin: “I am not a fan of exposition in plays, however, sometimes it’s necessary. When you have a conversation with someone and you’re telling them about yourself, it’s a sharing of information between the two of you. When employed on stage, it’s a natural way to get information and historical fact across to the audience without it turning into a lecture… A conversation is inherently more intimate and personal than a discourse.”

That intimacy lets tone, pause and power shifts do as much work as dates. It’s also truer to how artists actually talk about art: sideways, emotionally, with the past never far away.

Sacrifice, addiction and the human story behind the paintings

Griffin is frank that this isn’t a museum talk. “I always say that truth is stranger than fiction. I am fascinated by what humans are willing to do to each other, from a perspective of good and bad. When it came to Lee, there are well documented facts and dates but not much subtext, which is both helpful and hindering. I like to write human stories and at its core, Lee is about a relationship between a husband and wife and the sacrifice a woman makes for a man who, while a brilliant artist, is battling addiction. The drama is right there, in the decisions Lee made. The art world is a backdrop.”

That backdrop still matters. Krasner spent years editing, defending and curating Pollock’s work while trying to protect her own. The play’s catalyst — a disputed canvas — presses on that faultline: what counts as truth when legacy, love and reputation are on the line?

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Putting Abstract Expressionism on stage: recreated canvases and a working studio

The production doesn’t just talk about Krasner’s art; it shows it. Designer Ian Nicholas has recreated specific pieces, not as decoration but as active partners in the dialogue. Griffin is emphatic: “The artwork was vital. I worked closely with designer Ian Nicholas, picking which pieces we needed on set for the play because the characters talk specifically about these paintings. It was very important to both me, Ian and the director, that the audience see Lee’s art… Abstract Expressionism is about expression of emotion, the unconscious mind and the very process of painting itself. What the audience will see is Lee on canvas, her paintings are a visual history of her state of mind. They are crucial to acquiring a deeper understanding of her.”

In Park90’s close quarters, that choice should feel immediate: you’re in the room with the work, the turps, the doubt.

Influence or theft? The play’s argument about originality

Hank’s visit isn’t only about provenance; it’s a route into an old argument with sharp modern bite. Where does influence end and plagiarism begin? Griffin frames it plainly: “The theme of influence vs outright theft or copying has been around forever; it certainly is not unique to Lee… You cannot help but be influenced by what you see and in today’s art world, there’s nothing new under the sun, it’s all been done… But to borrow a line from my play, ‘The point is to show your perspective.’ I think where you can draw the line is the intention behind it. If you are actively copying someone else with the intention to harm or steal someone else’s work, that is a different matter.”

By pinning that debate to a single disputed object, Lee is set to keep its ethics firmly grounded: less theory, more consequences.

Writing women, writing underdogs: Griffin’s recurring interest

Krasner fits a thread that runs through Griffin’s work. “I might get myself into trouble here, but I think women are generally more emotionally intelligent than men… Either way, women are simply more interesting to me. I know quite a few older women and their stories are complex and often poignant. I have always been attracted to the underdog in any story. A life of adversity is always more engrossing to me.”

That attention shows up in how the play positions power: a woman guarding her story, a younger man testing his ground, a dead genius still shaping the room.

Collaboration in practice: Jason Moore’s dramaturgy and OnBook Theatre’s approach

This is a writer–director partnership with form. “Jason Moore is an excellent dramaturg and was there from the beginning,” says Griffin. “He suggested changes from the first draft of Lee to the final script that really helped shape the play. He has an inherent understanding of how an audience will see and understand a character and how to stage a play, so his contribution was invaluable.”

OnBook Theatre, which Moore co-founded with Nicholas, has built a reputation for intimate productions with clean storytelling. Park Theatre’s Park90 — a studio that rewards detail — is a sensible match.

Cast and Performance Details

Helen Goldwyn leads as Lee Krasner, with Will Bagnall as Hank. Tom Andrews appears as Jackson Pollock. Running time is 75 minutes with no interval; age guidance 12+. The run is 24 September–18 October, with press night Tuesday 30 September, 7pm. (Relaxed performance: Thu 9 October, 3:15pm.)

What Griffin hopes audiences take away

The piece aims at rediscovery rather than hagiography. Griffin’s ask is modest and pointed: “I hope that audiences go home and research Lee Krasner, look at her body of work, her story and get an appreciation for her. Some people may not like her art or understand it and that’s fine too. I’d just like them to look at her.”

And for those wary of labels, he adds context: “It’s important to see the Abstract Expressionist movement within the context of the time it happened… But what people need to understand is that Abstract Expressionism is about emotion. And as we all know, emotions can be ugly, jarring and messy.”

Featured Image: Helen Goldwyn who plays Lee Krasner – Credit Unknown.