This dialog-driven one-act play involves three men whose long friendship reaches a crisis point when one of them buys a very expensive minimalist painting. Their ensuing arguments over its artistic merit expose their own struggle to understand and appreciate each other, as each character eventually reveals his own judgments and interpretations of his friends. As the play progresses, their flawed egos, insecurities, and emotional postures change color and density like layers of paint on a canvas.
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| Michael Wagman (Yvan), Justin Schaller (Serge) and Sean Hargadon (Marc) in "Art" by Yazmina Reza at Elgin Artspace Lofts. |
A superbly cast ensemble of Sean Hargadon, Justin Schaller and Michael Wagman brought to life three rather different characters, each played with subtly appropriate costume and evocative body language. Their stage chemistry is excellent, and their delivery of every line, from the most profound aphorisms to the coarsest interjections, was consistently well-timed and elocuted.
Only Janus Theatre Company's up close, intimate staging could succeed in the Seigle Gallery, whose broad, flat surfaces scatter the sounds of dialog when actors face upstage. Surrounded by a significant exhibit of visual art, the play includes several audience asides which reinforce the feeling of being entirely present for the action.
Art's script carries a payload of fascinating ideas encapsulated in choice lines, disguised as a prickly and often funny conversation among friends. The controversial painting is really just a foil for the characters' own tendencies to define each other, while simultaneously refusing to accept the others' definitions of them. Raising questions and causing introspection is what art is supposed to do.
See if you agree that all definitions are relative. Art continues Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm and Sundays at 6:00 pm through November 19th. Tickets are available at jtcART.eventbrite.com.
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