'Art' thou ready for something different?

By TU M. TRAN
Film Editor

Art is subjective. Everyone has his or her own tastes - some like Italian Renaissance, while others prefer modern.

Whatever one's liking, the play "Art" is something everyone can enjoy. Written by Yasmina Reza, "Art" is wonderfully staged with hilarious cast performances.

"Art," the 1998 Tony Award recipient for best play, debuted in France in 1994 and has since become an international success. In this production, which features the original Broadway cast, the humor and story does not get lost in the translation.

The play opens up with Marc (Alan Alda), who is upset at his long-time friend Surge (Victor Garber) for spending 200,000 francs (about $35,000) on a minimalist painting. Marc is not so much bothered by the painting's hefty price tag, but rather the painting itself, which is "white...with thin, diagonal white stripes." The two disagree upon whether or not the painting is "art." Looking for a third opinion, the men turn to their indecisive friend Yvan (Alfred Molina), who himself is distracted by his impending marriage to his boss' niece.

Their conversation quickly turns to the painting's symbolism - their deteriorating friendship. Marc is bitter at Surge's new love for modernism, a passion Marc cannot fully comprehend. Accordingly, he worries he is too outdated to be Surge's friend. Yvan, meanwhile, is stuck in the middle of the friendship.

Neatly compacted into a 90-minute performance, "Art" is carried by quick, razor-sharp dialogue that never allows for a dull moment. Even when there is no dialogue between the characters, the show is still entertaining and its actors shine, especially in a scene where all three friends sit around eating olives.

Alda, Garber and Molina all recreate their roles magnificently. Molina's performance is exceptionally well-done, making Yvan's nerve-wracked character sympathetic as well as funny, particularly in a scene where he rants about his problems over his wedding invitations.

The setting and costume of the show, designed by Mark Thompson, is perfect. The set is minimal, with locations changed by slight lighting shifts and small additions to the set. Thompson pays close attention to detail, from carefully choosing the style of clothing the men wear to the type of chair each sits in.

Reza has created a play that fans of the arts will appreciate, whether or not their tastes change, this "Art" is for the eclectic.

Copyright 1999 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 136, No. 04 (Thursday, January 21, 1999), on page 11.