“Art” at Tri-State Actors Theater

“Art”
by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Chistopher Hampton

How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be art? One of Marc’s best friends, Serge, has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn’t have the proper standard to judge the work. Another friend, Ivan, though burdened by his own problems, allows himself to be pulled into the this disagreement. Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are drawn and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: "Go on." This is where the friendship is finally tested and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds.

Performed by Tri-State Actors Theater
At Garris Center
Performances ran
Wednesday, July 31, 2002 thru Saturday, August 17, 2002