The Churches being painted are Gardner and Fanny Church, remnants of a once flourishing tribe of Boston blue bloods. Gardner, an eminent poet, has started a graceful descent in senility so his wife Fanny is packing up their Beacon Hill townhouse for a permanent move to their cottage on Cape Cod. Their daughter Mags, an artist who lives and works in New York City, is desperate to paint their portrait before they fade from view, but will they hold still?
What Is the Story of Painting Churches?
Painting Churches centers on Gardner and Fanny Church, a elderly WASP couple in Boston, and their artist daughter, Mags. Gardner is a celebrated poet who has begun to decline mentally. Fanny, his flamboyant wife, is preparing for a permanent (and money-saving) move to their Cape Cod cottage. Mags arrives from New York to help her parents pack and to paint their portrait, a project they don’t seem to take seriously. The play explores the origins of the prickly relationship between the Churches and their daughter while poking gentle fun at the world they live in.