Review: Reanimating an Autistic Artist With ‘Soot and Spit'

Description

From the moment we enter the space, we are transported. Inspired by Tom Trusky’s book “James Castle: His Life & Art” and infused with old-style fiddle music and acoustic guitar, “Soot and Spit” springs to vivid life on a rustic, neatly cluttered set (by Matthew Imhoff) that seems reassembled from Castle’s drawings of home: the slices of whitewashed walls, which double as screens for clever projections (by Boyd Branch); the iron stove to heat the room; the pieces of playful art — a bird here, a human figure there.