BWW Reviews: Viewing ART At Vagabonds Theatre: Plenty of Whine, Delicious Cheese

Viewing ART at Vagabonds Theatre: Plenty of Whine, Delicious Cheese.

In Fells Point, there is a lovely little theatre which has been in operation for awhile now. Vagabonds Theatre, approaching its 100th anniversary, is fairly well-known for producing- capably- standard favorite shows that have proved themselves popular with audiences.

The current Vagabond Players production, ART, departs from this, however, importing Yasmina Reza's French script- don't panic, it's been translated for you by Christopher Hampton- about three men, relationships, and what is Important with a capital I. It's a dense, wordy script that isn't produced frequently- certainly not a beloved chestnut of theatre. I had read ART and didn't care for it. It was not on my Short List of Shows to See. The characters rambled and I wasn't sure whether the whole thing even had a point.

ART, first produced at London's West End, was brought to Broadway in 1998 (published in '96, so it's not old), where it won a Tony for Best Play. Had I researched the Broadway cast, which included (at various times) Alan Alda, Wayne Knight, Alfred Molina, George Wendt and Judd Hirsch, I might've had a different attitude about the play. I hadn't.

I was prepared to see a rather dry show, but since Vagabonds has so far done a nice job with every production I've seen, I put on my Good Sport Face. Evidently, I'd missed something when reading the script some years ago. What I was missing was the comedy of the show, the bit I couldn't see while reading, what goes on between the words, the bit that ART's director Howard Berkowitz does such a nice job of providing to the script with the actors for the audience.

It's a funny show.

I didn't know that. It was, therefore, a delightful surprise, when actor Mark Scharf, (perhaps better known locally as a playwright), as Marc, an opinionated intelligentsia, observed a set piece...and observed it... and had the audience burbling with laughter. The cast of three had excellent timing and enviable chemistry. Steven Shriner as Serge, a bourgeoisie collector, is sufficiently pompous, engagingly so, and as neurotic, wavering, unabashedly proletarian Yvan, actor Eric C. Stein, whom I enjoyed as Charlie in THE FOREIGNER earlier this year, ran the risk of an over-the-top performance, but teetered near the peak without toppling. Together they turned a three-character, one-set, incredibly talky production into a lively hilarisad romp through the psyche of the adult male. Now, not your traditional American adult male- remember, this is a French script. There are no NASCAR references, and none of the characters seemed to have a television set. Nobody wore a Sponge-Bob T-shirt. Also, if you don't understand my new invention, 'hilarisad', I refer you to the recently coined term 'humblebrag'. Reach a little; you'll get it.

Since I am at heart a tech geek, I gave an admiring nod to the set, which was fairly restrained by Vagabonds' usual standards (decorated to the nth degree, personality brimming from each and every tchotchke)- pared down, almost, which allowed it to be the specific location the performers needed it to be. Tiny adjustments cued the audience to setting changes. A pale paillette and Art Nouveau curves made it cold and friendly at the same time. Carefully placed lighting created isolation for monologues. It was so seamless as to be nearly invisible, like the breeze off the ocean which is only obvious when it's wrong.

When you go, be prepared to be chummy with your fellow audience members. The theatre is very small. There are no refreshments available, which is just as well, since ART is performed without intermission. I parked 'round the corner at a lot on the corner of S. Bond and Thames streets for $5.00 on a Friday night. Vagabonds, located at 806 South Broadway in Fells Point, suggests the Caroline Street Garage, about a block north of the lot I used. ART plays at Vagabonds through September 28th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 2pm, with a special $10 Thursday on September 25th. For tickets, visit http://www.vagabondplayers.org, or phone 410-563-9135. Vagabonds is also seeking memories and stories on its Facebook page in preparation for 2016's 100th Anniversary Celebration.

Photos by Tom Lauer