Among the vast and sacred realm of idolized love objects — the one inhabited by Dante’s Beatrice and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Robert — the title character of Edgar Oliver’s “ Victor ” stands tall. According to Mr. Oliver, whose “Victor” is the latest in his singular series of elegiac performance pieces, this homeless denizen of New York City was roughly 5-foot-7. But with his bald, “beautiful” head and formidable biceps, he bore an alluring resemblance to the cartoon hero Popeye the Sailor Man. This was, evidently, a comparison that Victor Greco, to use his full name, appreciated. You’ll want to check them out after the show, if for no other reason than to confirm Mr. Oliver’s statement that “I know it sounds as if I’m making this up, but it really happened.”

Source: New York Times October 07, 2019 01:41 UTC