American Players Theatre understands the emotional undercurrents of Yasmina Reza's play

By Rebecca Jamieson, Isthmus

“My friend Serge has bought a painting,” Marc (Triney Sandoval) tells the audience at American Players Theatre as the lights rise on the interior of a neutral-toned apartment. “It’s a canvas about 5 by 4: white. The background is white, and if you screw up your eyes, you can make out some fine white diagonal lines.”

Serge (Marcus Truschinski) soon bursts in, barely able to contain his excitement over the painting, draping himself over it as he tries to reveal its hidden dimensions. But Marc is anything but thrilled — he’s disturbed that one of his oldest friends has spent $200,000 on what he calls “a piece of white shit.” Who, exactly, is his dermatologist friend pretending to be?

When Marc drags their comically anxious mutual friend Yvan (La Shawn Banks) into the fray, the trio embarks on a disquietingly funny exploration of class, identity, and the fragility of friendship — a bond that may not survive the fallout.

Written by Yasmina Reza, Art premiered in Paris in 1994 and quickly garnered international acclaim, including a Tony Award. American Players Theatre’s production, directed by Jackson Gay, brings this modern classic to life with a deft understanding of the play’s emotional undercurrents.

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