Provocative 'Art' opens at Barrington Stage Company
PITTSFIELD, Mass.
All the art is not in galleries, some of it is on the stage. |
The play is called a comedy, and the audience laughed loudly at the many situations and jokes, but I was never happier than when it ended and I was able to escape the horrible people portrayed on stage. All the laughter was at the expense of one or another of the trio, and Reza, who wrote the play, clearly has an opinion of the human race she shares with Edward Albee. "Art" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" would make a matching double bill. Both are full of verbal rusty daggers which are used to slash at each other's egos mercilessly.
Directed by Henry Wishcamper, the whole play flies by in some hour and 20 minutes, almost 10 minutes faster than other productions, which run 90 minutes. The break-neck pacing keeps the work humming, even though the action consists mostly of hauling the painting out and putting it back.
But there is a hilariously acted scene in which the three men chew on olives, rendered in absolute silence. It's such a wonderful scene you will remember it the next time you play with an olive pit in your mouth. Finally, what would a play about men engaging in macho one-upmanship be without a fist fight, very nicely choreographed by Michael Burnet.
Despite the fact that it made me squirm in my seat, it got to me, and that makes it great theater. No wonder "Art" has been translated into 30 languages, and is performed with great frequency around the world. If women are the majority ticket buyers, here is a play where scores get settled. Instead of seeing men's ideas of women up on stage, Reza shows men for the insufferable ego jobs they often are, slashing at each other, and hiding behind the excuse of rational discourse to justify their unfeeling behavior. Some say that this play gives you insights into the complicated mind of artists, but while the self-absorbed aspects ring pretty true, the complete lack of humanity and sensitivity applies only to a rare few I have known.
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So, the white painting is the newest acquisition of Serge (David Garrison) who first shows it to his longtime friend Marc (Michael Countryman) and asks for an opinion. Marc thinks it is a waste of 200,000 francs and tells him so in no uncertain terms. They trade verbal punches. Sometime later Yvan hears about it from Marc. Being a people-pleaser, Yvan then tells Serge that yes, he likes it, only to recant later. Their characterizations are brilliant. As Serge, Garrison uses the painting to inflate his ego, becoming the imperious owner and lords it over Michael Countryman's Marc, who — used to being the esthetic leader of the group — bristles at the rejection of his opinions.
Brian Avers' Yvan meanwhile has his own set of problems - a wedding in which the mothers-in-law are fighting for naming rights on the invitation that has escalated into a different kind of war, with him in the middle, just as he is caught between his two warring friends with no way to reconcile their stubborn differences.
The production acquits itself well, with a handsome set that depicts a sort of uncluttered neutral room that serves as the background for all three characters' homes. Each is distinguished by the simple device of a different painting on each of their walls. The lighting designer provides suitable atmospherics, with frequent cuts to individual actors as they address the audience. In judging costumes in contemporary plays, the idea is not to bring unnecessary attention to them. Everything worked fine except for he loud shirt that Yvan wore. While the right idea, it was too distracting and should have been toned down.
The sound design during the play, acting as exclamation points, worked exceedingly well. The screechy classical music before the performance began was too loud, too distorted and had too much treble and not enough bass. Primarily chamber music for strings, it should have been background music, not in the foreground where it set the wrong mood.
So how does this play stack up against the other productions this year? In a summer with so many remarkable plays to choose from, "Art" can claim a top spot. The acting, the direction and the entertainment are all there. What it comes down to is the subject matter. If you enjoy talking about art, and examining the real nature of most friendships, you will adore this play. But in the end, even with all the laughs, this is no comedy, it is a tragedy.
Other new shows:
"After the Revolution" at Williamstown Theatre Festival:
"The play has a couple of minor bombshells to drop beside the news that grandpa was a spy. Turns out that grandma was open to a lesbian relationship that was never consummated, Mom was arrested for civil disobedience but was rejected by Grandpa because it was not for a politically correct cause, and boyfriend-employee Miguel wonders about the real relationship he has with Emma." Full review here.
"The play has a couple of minor bombshells to drop beside the news that grandpa was a spy. Turns out that grandma was open to a lesbian relationship that was never consummated, Mom was arrested for civil disobedience but was rejected by Grandpa because it was not for a politically correct cause, and boyfriend-employee Miguel wonders about the real relationship he has with Emma." Full review here.
"The Pool Boy" at Barrington Stage Music Theatre Lab:
“She Swims” is accompanied by a backlit image of the pool and April in a lovely fantasy sequence. While the effect is quite stunning, the mingling of their two voices is totally mesmerizing. Johnson’s voice is earnest and youthful, while Wolfson’s has a sweet clarion sound with just a bit of edginess. Together they blended into something that simply sounded like love." Full review here.
“She Swims” is accompanied by a backlit image of the pool and April in a lovely fantasy sequence. While the effect is quite stunning, the mingling of their two voices is totally mesmerizing. Johnson’s voice is earnest and youthful, while Wolfson’s has a sweet clarion sound with just a bit of edginess. Together they blended into something that simply sounded like love." Full review here.
"The Guardsman" at Berkshire Theatre Festival:
"An old fashioned comedy which requires nothing more from you than to sit back, relax and just simply enjoy. What is special about it is that the jokes are all in context, advancing the plot, and not glib one-liners that go for the easy laugh. The secret of The Guardsman is that it is an ideal vehicle for its two stars, the mistrusting duplicitous husband and his on-to-him wife." Full review here.
Larry Murray is a contributor to iBerkshires.com and offers reviews and arts news from around the region at Berkshire On Stage.
