‘Vincent: A Portrait By The

Postman Roulin’

SOUTHBURY — On Friday, July 29, Southbury Library will host a one-man play of Vincent van Goh’s personal and artistic journey as seen through the eyes of his good friend, the postman Joseph Roulin of Arles, France.

The program, “Vincent: A Portrait by The Postman Roulin,” will be in the Kingsley Meeting Room at 7 pm. Registration is required for all summer events and can be done by contacting the library at 203-262-0626 extension 130.

Ted Zalewski, as the Postman, captures the spirit of van Gogh the man and the essence of van Gogh the artist. His presentation is filled with humor, passion, and joie de vivre. Roulin the postman is a “counterpoint” character to Vincent, the creative artist.

 Married with three children, the older, robust Joseph is rooted and stable. Vincent, solitary and vulnerable, leads a peripatetic artistic life. Yet the two men find a great, enduring friendship. While in Arles, Van Gogh created 25 pictures of the Roulin family. 

To create an inspirational and educational theatrical experience, Mr Zalewski draws on his extensive background as a special educator, crisis counselor, playwright, and member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).  In addition to his portrayal of the Postman Roulin, Mr Zalewski’s nationally acclaimed portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt has thrilled audiences at such venues as the National Theater, the Smithsonian Institution, the Roosevelt Study Centre in the Netherlands, and US Presidential libraries. He has performed The Postman for museum and library audiences in New England, the Midwest, and Florida.

Southbury Library is at 100 Poverty Road, off Main Street North (Route 6).