NY mother renders celebrity drawings, shares their responses online.
A self‑taught Brooklyn artist, Erica Keselman, has built a reputation on Broadway by sketching celebrities outside theaters and recording their reactions. The most recent public encounter occurred after George Clooney’s appearance in “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Clooney stepped off the stage at the Manhattan theater’s exit, held a pencil‑sketched portrait of himself, and smiled at the artist before signing the image. Keselman filmed the moment and posted it to her nearly 200,000‑follower Instagram account.
The artist has similarly captured reactions from other well‑known performers. In December 2024, Richard Kind paused to sign a sketch after his stage debut in “All Out” at the Hudson Theater, noting his appreciation for the drawing. The video of his reaction later accrued more than four million views. Keselman’s repertoire now includes at least 300 portraits, all of which she keeps in a hand‑made spiral notebook.
Although her work is shared widely on social media, Keselman emphasizes that she creates the sketches for the instant of connection it provides, rather than for fame or profit. Her practice remains a unique, informal avenue for interacting with Broadway talent outside the usual stage‑door tradition.