‘Art’ gets funny, reflective rendition Production ponders painting, friendship

Mark Torres, producing artistic director at Penobscot Theatre, has had his eye on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Art” for several years. In 2000, he tried to mount the show but could not get the rights. Now he – and regional theaters all over the country – have access to the script and it has become a favorite show among small theaters.

And for good reason. Not only is “Art” easy to produce – with only one set and three actors – but Yasmina Reza’s comedy about a blank canvas and the triangle of men who argue over its worth is funny, thought-provoking and enters squarely into the volatile question: What is art?

You may not know the answer by the end of this play – or by the end of eternity. But as the show’s director, Chris Dolman, rightly points out in program notes, “Art” is really about friendship.

Marc, Serge and Yvan, the characters in the play, are old friends whose allegiances are challenged when Serge, a dermatologist, buys an abstract piece of art. So abstract, Marc argues, that it appears blank. Given the cost of the piece, which is more than many people’s yearly salary, Marc thinks Serge is a victim of the emperor’s new clothes. Yvan, given to indecision and pressured by preparations for his upcoming wedding, wiggles back and forth between the two sides, expressing whatever support or dissent seems conciliatory at the time.

The set by Nicole Coppinger provides the smart atmosphere for the battle of minds and egos that takes place onstage. She creates a minimalist urban scene of tans and browns, with high city apartment walls and sleek furniture. The only thing that changes as the men visit each other in their homes is a central work of art on the wall. Each painting gets bashed for what it reflects about its owner and about his taste. But no art goes unscathed here. Nor does arrogance. Nor does ignorance.

Key to the success of this show is timing. It’s a fast script, meant to clip along and to run only 90 minutes without intermission. On Saturday, it ran close to two hours, and it seemed as if the actors were symbolically leaving white space between lines. The action sometimes dragged.

But even if Dolman’s production takes its time making a point, the performances are often hilarious and audience-friendly in a way we tend not to associate with contemporary theater. No one is accosting the audience with ideas. Yet the ideas are there – in a “Seinfeld” sort of way.

Mark Carter, who proved his talent for comedy in “The Mystery of Irma Vep,” brings a restrained wit and believable self-satisfaction to Serge. He could convince any number of people to rethink their positions on abstract art. Just not Michael Carleton’s Marc, who comes the closest to being a true cynic, and deftly never completely surrenders the grasp he has on the audience’s sympathy, if not empathy. His final read on the controversial painting proves that friendship can be an eye-opener and a lesson in diplomacy.

Adam Kuykendall, as Yvan, conjures the most laughs with his cartoonish reactions and philosophical meandering. He gives a spunky, intelligent performance that, for all its freshness, is also a little bit Woody Allen, a little bit any guy on “Friends.”

The ensemble work of the cast gives “Art” everything it needs to stir up the minds of art lovers as well as longtime friends. It’s likely you’ll leave the theater setting aside the question of the blank canvas and wondering just how far your own friends could go before you start judging their personal choices as too intolerable for your tastes.

In conjunction with Bright Lights Bangor, a daylong celebration of arts and culture in the city’s downtown, Penobscot Theatre is holding a special 2 p.m. matinee today.

A final note: The language of “Art” is not tame. The “f” word gets a workout here. If you are squeamish about profanity, this may not be the play for you or your younger children.

Penobscot Theatre Company will present “Art” at 2 p.m. March 17 and 21, 7 p.m., March 18, and 8 p.m. March 19 and 20, at the Opera House on Main Street in Bangor. For information, call 942-3333. Alicia Anstead can be reached at 990-8266 or aanstead@bangordailynews.net.