BWW Reviews: The Black Rep Presents Intriguing and Engaging Production of ART Through 5/23

The saying goes that "one man's trash is another man's treasure", and that old adage is brought into sharp focus by Yasmina Reza's provocative script for her play Art. But, the play also examines relationships, and how tenuous they can become when fundamental disagreements occur between friends. Reza's work is funny, thought provoking and, in the end, touching in the way it handles these two distinct themes. The Black Rep's current production of Art is a masterful presentation, buoyed by three terrific performances, and stellar design and direction.

When Serge buys a modern art canvas by a trendy painter for 200,000 francs, he draws the ire of his stuffily conservative associate Marc, who can find no value in a work that's nearly completely white save for a few off-white diagonal lines that are barely discernible. To Marc, Serge has not only made a mistake in purchasing the painting, but he's shown a callous disregard for their friendship in doing so. The third wheel in this trio is Yvan, who strives to remain non-committal despite his own misgivings about the piece. As they meet for dinner, fireworks erupt between Serge and Marc as the anger between them boils over, and their friendship is seemingly lost in the process.

This is an intriguing cast that really plays well off one another. Ron Himes deftly conveys Serge's wounded pride, and rising animosity as he vainly tries to convince Marc and Yvan that the painting is worthy. And, regular cabaret performer and mentor Tim Schall, who I've never had the chance to see act before, is pitch perfect as Marc, who appears to be stuck in time with his vest and bow tie. But, the real gem of a performance comes from Robert A. Mitchell who's simply delightful as Yvan, dealing with his own anxieties over his upcoming nuptials, and reluctant to become a pawn between Marc and Serge. Mitchell continually enlivens the proceedings whenever the action threatens to become dull or repetitive with his energetic work.

Director Andrea Frye does splendid work here, making the interaction believable and engaging, despite the fact that one could wonder how these three disparate characters ever became friends in the first place. Dunsi Dai's scenic design makes the whole stage seem like a gallery, and I like that aspect because the clean simplicity keeps our focus on the actors. David Warfel's lighting works well to set the various moods, as well as spotlighting characters as they reveal their true feelings. Linda Kennedy's costumes neatly delineates each individual without drawing too much attention. Eric Keller and Doug Schroeder's sound design features a lovely acoustic version of "Mona Lisa" (played by Tommy Emmanuel) that adds to the atmosphere.

The Black Rep's thoroughly involving and engaging production of Art continues through May 23, 2010 at the Grandel Theatre

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