“Art” terrific RCRT production
Review by Lane Crockett
Hurry is the proper verb to use in talking about “Art” … as in hurry to see River City Repertory Theatre’s terrific production of the play.
The Yasmina Reza comedy opened Thursday (May 9) at East Bank Theatre and proved itself to be an intelligent, sophisticated, acerbic, funny and wonderfully acted offering about gamesmanship, friendship, egoism and the nature of art. That’s a lot to pack into 90 minutes, but Reza adroitly manages to do that.
The setup is simple. Serge, a successful New York City dermatologist, spends $200,000 to buy a painting by an “in” modern artist. The painting is white on white. He can hardly contain himself in his eagerness to display it to his best friend, Marc, a pompous elitist rather in admiration of his own perceived sense of sophistication. Serge really can hardly contain himself when Marc pronounces the canvas “a white piece of s**t!”
Suddenly the two men are at loggerheads over this empty appearing canvas. Serge believes he’s on the cutting edge with his purchase, while Marc condescendingly indicates that Serge’s foray into modern art is a misguided attempt to consider himself some sort of connoisseur. A third friend, Yvan, who has started a new job he doesn’t like and is getting married, is later brought into the argument. Yvan, with really no opinion of his own, casts himself as a would-be peacemaker and finds that blowing up in his face.
Playwright Reza is sly. Although the play is wonderfully witty, she has underpinned the work with a seriousness concerning the art of friendship. The present contretemps over the canvas becomes a springboard for those little toads and frogs to come out as the men find their relationships threatening to shatter.
Director Patric McWilliams understands that, having once appeared in a previous production of “Art” as Yvan. While he finds all the inherent humor, he doesn’t forget that these men are at an impasse that could destroy their friendships. And, best of all, he manages to balance that without a heavy hand. He lets the humor be hurtful when appropriate. The laughs are there and, occasionally, a little uncomfortably so.
That’s where this production is seamless. It is gorgeously paced with a fluidity that lets it smoothly glide along as it captures the attention of the theatergoers. There are no bumps to jar them as they watch these relationships ebb and flow to a conclusion.
And tremendous help in doing that is the terrific ensemble acting from Blayne Weaver, Patrick Kirton and Jason Guy. Their performances are as seamless as the production. Really it’s not so much acting as inhabiting the characters. Gone are Blayne, Patrick and Jason and here are Serge, Marc and Yvan, respectively. This is an admirable trio with impeccable timing.
Weaver’s Serge is barely contained energy, conveying his emotions on his sleeve. The actor’s movements are kinetic in Serge’s eagerness to display what he is feeling. That is balanced by Kirton’s smoothly relaxed Marc, who is no less eager to puncture Serge’s excitement. Marc cannot believe that Serge has acted independently of his guidance and realm of influence. Guy’s Yvan is an emotional wreck whose wishy-washy nature gets caught like a battered tennis ball between the other two.
Watching these three actors weave through this play is a delight. Guy elicits spontaneous applause after a breathless, frantic monologue involving his impending wedding. Kirton takes superciliousness to new heights, while Weaver exudes a watchable charisma.
All of this is accomplished with an impressive naturalness.
From time to time, Reza allows her characters directly to address the audience, so that there is a sense of intimacy between the characters and those watching them and the confines of East Bank make that palpable.
McWilliams has created an eye-catching set design that explodes in white with only dollops of color to break it. In the center of the back wall, there is a panel that slides back and forth that depicts two paintings that indicate a change of scene from Serge’s to the apartments of the other two men. Technical director Jim Hayes has made all of that appealing in his well appointed construction. Light designer Tristan Decker has managed to not let this whiteness detract the audience from the play, and that is no easy task. He does a smooth job of pinpointing the characters when they step in and out of the action. Sound designer Mike Martindale helps give the production depth.
