|2005 Home Page| Art by Yasmina Reza | Fish & Chips | Tuesday & Sundays | For Sentimental Reasons |
| American SongFest | First Looks at the Fringe | Play Slam |
| American SongFest | First Looks at the Fringe | Play Slam |
'ART'
A new play by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Translated by Christopher Hampton
The Painting
Winner of the Tony Award and Olivier Award for best play, Art’, is “A non-stop crossfire of crackling language, serious issues of life and art expressed in outbursts that sound like Don Rickles with a degree from the Sorbonne … fiendishly clever… “wildly funny, naughtily provocative, sophisticated, stylish, and moving . . . a marriage of Moliere and Woody Allen.” – Newsweek. “…Classic comedy, period.” – London Times. How much would you pay for a white painting, five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines? ‘Art’ revolves around three male friends - Serge, Marc, and Yvan - who find their 15-year relationship tested when Serge buys a white-on-white painting for a large sum of money. He shows off his prize, thinking he has one-upped his friends with his avant-garde taste. Marc's and Yvan's reactions stoke tensions, especially when Marc dissolves into hysterics at Serge's gullibility and Yvan, the peacemaker, offers an equivocal opinion, which angers everyone. ‘Art’ escalates into an examination of friendship - its demands, obligations, and, ultimately, its rewards. The quips, fast comebacks, instantaneous changes of mood, whining, laughing jags, and tears are prompted by the ties that bind men and show how their friendships are preserved, no matter the severity of the strains. The cast, Wallace Norman, James Prendergast and Lou Trapani, is directed by Nicola Sheara. Eight performances.
