Few people know the halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as intimately as its guards. In All the Beauty in the World, a one-man show now playing through May 25 at DR2 Theatre in Union Square, Patrick Bringley offers audiences an insider’s view of the Met.
Rather than merely focusing on its artwork, the play highlights the quiet, deeply human experiences that unfold daily in the museum.
From Memoir to Stage
The play is based on Bringley’s 2023 memoir, which chronicled his decade as a museum guard following the loss of his brother. While the book served as a meditation on grief, art, and life, the stage version brings a new dimension to the story. Wearing his old guard uniform, Bringley stands on stage with the posture of someone who spent years standing watch—hands cupped behind his back, one foot crossed over the other.
This physicality gives the show a lived-in feel and grounds the narrative in a reality only theater can provide. Director Dominic Dromgoole adds movement and warmth to what could have been a static performance. Wooden benches on stage become beds, pedestals, and resting places. Behind Bringley, staggered screens bring artwork to life with the help of Austin Switser’s projection design.
Art as Companion
Bringley doesn’t just describe the art—he interacts with it like a friend. In one scene, he guides the audience through Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s The Harvesters, pointing out details he has likely studied for hundreds of hours. The high-resolution images make it easy to follow, even from the back row.
But this isn’t just an art history lecture. Bringley’s reflections show how living with these paintings shaped his perspective. He doesn’t speak like a docent reciting facts; he talks like someone who found comfort and clarity in silence and stillness.
Life Behind the Museum Walls
While the art takes center stage, Bringley also opens the door to the Met’s behind-the-scenes world. He introduces a host of coworkers: guards from all over the globe, a dispatcher who assigns their daily posts, and even a man named Joey Buttons, who sews their uniforms.
There are also stories of museum-goers: the curious, the confused, and those asking about the dinosaur exhibit. Through light humor and observation, Bringley paints a picture of the museum as a home for art and a place full of people in motion, each with their own story.
Grief and Memory in the Quiet Moments
At its core, All the Beauty in the World is a tribute to art and Bringley’s late brother, Tom. Though Tom’s story doesn’t follow a linear path, his presence shapes the narrative. It is grief that gives the show its emotional depth.
By sharing his memories of Tom, Bringley reminds us that art can hold space for sorrow and healing. It gives us something to lean on and sometimes helps us say what words cannot.
All the Beauty in the World runs through May 25 at DR2 Theatre, 103 East 15th Street in Union Square.
