This poster promotes the French production of Elmer Rice's 1923 play The Adding Machine, a landmark of American expressionism, which focuses on Mr. Zero, an accountant at a large, faceless company. After 25 years, he's replaced by an adding machine. Shocking and ironic drama ensues. This is an extremely rare example of Colin stripping away all conventions of commercial art—and Jazz Age trappings—to arrive at a pure Modernist interpretation of a mind deep in calculation. The play was revived for the autumn 2017 season at Dallas's Theater Three.
Imp. H. Chachoin, Paris
literature: Colin Affichiste, 7; PAI-LXXXV, 292 (var)