The Stendhal Syndrome

The Stendahl Syndrome is named for the French novelist, who on a visit to Florence had such a visceral and physical reaction to its beauty that he wrote, "I felt a pulsating in my heart. Life was draining out of me, while I walked fearing a fall." Now Terrence McNally, whom The New Yorker has called "one of our most original and audacious dramatists and one of our funniest," has crafted two stunning and witty plays about art and how it transforms us. Full Frontal Nudity explores the reaction of three American tourists to the perfection and beauty of Michelangelo's David. In Prelude & Liebestod, a renowned conductor watches his life unravel while conducting Wagner's musical masterpiece.