Live and in person at the King Heritage and Cultural Centre, Laskay Hall, King City, Ont., Produced by the King Theatre Company. Running until April 19, 2025.
Written by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Chloë Rose Flowers
Sound designed by Daniel Tessy
Lighting designed by Lisa Van Oorschot
Bravo to Chloë Rose Flowers, the artistic director of the King City Company, who is bringing theatre to King City. She formed the company last year and produced David French’s two- character play, Salt-Water Moon. This year she produced and directed Art, a three-character play by Yasmina Reza. Can a 10-person musical be far behind?
One can see the appeal of Art. It’s about friendship and modern art. It takes place in Paris but is applicable anywhere. It’s about three long-time friends—Serge (Fred Kuhr), Marc (Josh Palmer) and Yvan (Ganesh Thava), but they are so different one wonders how they really are friends. A large, pure white painting tests the theory of friendship.
Marc appears first to announce that his friend Serge has bought a huge white painting and paid a lot of money for it. Marc is quietly furious. He’s angry that his good friend should pay so much money for it and as the play progresses, Marc is angry that Serge did not consult him first. Marc is the take-charge guy. He has an opinion on everything and expected Serge to consult him on such an important purchase.
Serge is pleased with the purchase. The artist is famous. It’s not just a white painting, there are streaks of white and even hints of pink in it. Serge and Marc wrangle over the painting, the cost and the lack of colour, harmony, design etc. in it. Into this duo comes Yvan, who has his own issues.
Yvan is getting married soon. He’s just changed jobs to work for his future father-in-law. He’s insecure, not very confident about anything and generally does not have a firm opinion of anything. Marc brow-beats Yvan as well.
Why are these people friends? I know, stranger things have happened. The wrangling escalates until matters get out of hand and something drastic happens to the painting because of a dare. In the end, there is a reconciliation between Marc and Serge with Marc changing his whole attitude towards the painting (this is not a spoiler alert since the show has closed).
Because of Marc’s sudden change of heart, I realize there is a scene missing—not because director Chloë Rose Flowers cut it from her production, but because playwright Yasmina Reza didn’t write it in the first place. There has to be some explanation, some dialogue between Marc and Serge, that led Marc to change his mind about the stupidity of the painting and the folly of Serge to buy it. And an explanation is even more important since at the end it’s the first time Marc has been accommodating and conciliatory and not abrasively condescending and full of such conviction.
Chloë Rose Flowers has done wonders in trying to establish the stylish lives of Marc and Serge with a simple two-seater couch, a plant at the back and simple furniture to create their separate apartments. Because of the smallness of the space Fred Kuhr as Serge has to carry the painting that is 5’ x 4 ‘ onto and off of the stage when the scene is not in Serge’s apartment.
Chloë Rose Flowers negotiates her actors around the small space with aplomb and efficiency. I do think the bits of farce are ill conceived: when Yvan tries to enter a room through a narrow door only to be blocked because he’s holding a small painting that is wider than the door and it stops him; and later when Yvan does way too much business opening a letter turning it around and fussy instead of just reading it. Art is not a farce. Art is a comedy and Chloë Rose Flowers does honest work in trying to realize the humour.
The cast of Fred Kuhr as Serge, Josh Palmer as Marc and Ganesh Thava as Yvan are very committed in their work. This was an honourable effort.
Produced by King Theatre Company.
Played until April 19, 2025.
Running time: 90 minutes, (no intermission)
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