The article highlights the dual nature of museum guards' work, showcasing their routine responsibilities alongside profound personal experiences. Patrick Bringley, a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art turned author and performer, shares his journey in the memoir 'All the Beauty in the World', exploring his thoughts while on duty, relationships with art, and life events like family and loss. His one-man show captures these narratives, revealing both the amusing and heartfelt aspects of the job, and effectively engaging the audience in his reflective storytelling.
I started doing talks at art museums after the book came out, and I noticed I wasn't nervous. My mom was an actor, and I enjoyed being onstage in front of people doing something communal.
I've seen a 100-year-old picture of a colleague leaning like this. The technology's never been improved upon.
These delightful behind-the-scenes moments-who knew each guard gets $80 per year to buy black socks?-create a rapport with the audience for the much more personal story of the death of Bringley's brother.
Bringley demonstrates very specifically how a museum guard leans against a wall towards the beginning of his play.
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