BWW Reviews: Provocative Production of ART by The St. Louis Actors' Studio

How many times have you heard someone say "my kid could have painted that" when referring to a particular piece of artwork. Art is something that has, and will always manage to, provoke different responses from different individuals. That's the true beauty and nature of it. Yasmina Reza's provocative script for her play Art (translation by Christopher Hampton) looks at those subjective perspectives, but it also examines relationships, and how they can become fractured when disagreements occur. It's equal parts amusing, thought provoking, as well as touching, and the St. Louis Actors' Studio has put together an intriguing production of Art that is certainly worthy of your time and attention.

When Serge buys a piece of modern art for a considerable sum of money, he draws the ire of his conservative friend Marc, who can find no value in a work that's nearly completely white. In fact, if you weren't looking too closely, you'd probably think it was merely a blank canvas. In Marc's eyes, Serge has made a terrible mistake in purchasing it. Enter Yvan, who strives to remain non-committal despite his own misgivings. Over dinner, sparks ignite between Serge and Marc as the rancor over the work has escalated from simmering to full on boil, testing the limits of their friendship in the process.

The sharp cast really works well together, with Drew Battles conveying Serge's wounded pride, and rising animosity as he vainly tries to convince his close friends Marc and Yvan of the painting's merits. John Pierson's portrayal of Marc, is also quite good, and his verbal sparring with Serge serves the play well. But, I think the real gems are brought forth by Larry Dell, who is simply delightful as Yvan. He has his own problems to deal with concerning his upcoming marriage, and displays a definite sense of reluctance to come between Marc and Serge.

Wayne Salomon's direction makes the interactions believable and engaging, despite the fact that you wonder how these three distinctly different characters could ever become friends. Cristie Johnson's scenic design is neatly conceived, and Dalton Robison does a nice job of lighting it. Teresa Doggett's costumes neatly delineate each individual character, and Carla Landis Evans provides just the right props for the show.

The St. Louis Actors' Studio has mounted a fine production of Art, and it continues at the Gaslight Theater through May 3, 2015.

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