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The Masterpiece of ART
By Deirdre Loy
Coming out of Cal State Northridge is a talented group of actors/directors who have recently started up a new theatre production company that already has a raging number of avid fans - and they are extremely talented.
Imagine your normally sane friend goes out to buy a masterpiece for a large sum of money and he comes home in awe of his new acquisition. The only hitch is, he has just bought what seems to be a plain white painting. The story of Art, by Yasmina Reza, is a one-act play serving a conversation at length between three friends over this object, but in retrospect, it questions the nature of perception and what can be considered fine art. Yvan, Marc, and Serge are three long-time friends who are dealing with life's big, but trivial issues encompassing personal relationships, work, and their stability as a close-knit trio. A comedic scenario leads them to argue over a simple idea that while Serge loves his newfound wall décor, Marc thinks he is inept to spend so much on a blank canvas and Yvan does not want to take sides in lieu of his own thoughts regarding his upcoming wedding. This disagreement turns ugly, revealing deeper problems within the group, making one believe that it is not the painting they are worried about but ultimately the drastically different perspectives they each have regarding life, the world, and how they each practice their own existence.
It is a battle of wits, which turns into a battle of insults and harsh words, and eventually turns into a physical battle, passionately acting on the hidden struggle of three very different men trying to find the common ground that initiated their friendships in the first place. Regressed opinions and emotions eventually fly out to reveal what they really think of each other, which had been hiding under the surface for years, for the sake of politeness and the love they have for one another. In other words, opposites attract, but they do not always create a cohesive, agreeable bond. Some audience reactions were better than others regarding the content of the play-while most found much hilarity in the performance, some thought an hour and a half of "bickering" was frustrating and grating on the nerves-any problems found in this production tended to pinpoint personal taste in action versus dialogue and had little to do with the performers themselves.
A play such as Art requires from actors a strong sense of comedic timing and the ability to stay absolutely serious under absurd conditions-this performance had these in abundance! The cast encompassed their characters' personalities, opinions, and frustrations whole-heartedly, with nearly flawless perfection of the nuances and timing casually included in the text. Jonathan Freeman Anderson (as the trusting character of Serge) buys what he considers an ultimate work of art and his dedication to this belief is unwavering. Anderson does a great job as the centerpiece to this action with a clear, resonating stage presence and voice to accompany his uncanny sense of delivery. His portrayal as the calm collected Serge plays well against the calamity the other characters create.
To counter Serge's unfaltering attitude, the role of Marc played by Gerron Beadle is brought on with passionate resistance to the blank canvas. Beadle's rage and unbending hatred for the painting is the catalyst, which yields a strong counter-play between the characters. His outrageous portrayal of this character sets up a majority of the comedic dialogue and he pulled through as the most energetic, absurdly adamant man in the group. Meanwhile, Yvan's character, played by Jozben Barrett offers the non-repressive comedic character concerned primarily with his own problems-showing the much-needed side of mediator. Barrett plays against typecasting in this piece by making his portrayal sensitive, caring, and trivial in funny, but emotionally apt ways. He is also a commanding performer, which made for great strength throughout the entire cast and all supported the antics of the others in an equally advantageous way.
A roaring crowd response with standing ovations and a packed house says this production was highly successful. The group plans on extending the performance to other venues in the near future and singularly are working on their own projects for the coming season, so if you see any of these three names attached to a show, it is highly recommended that you go out and support these budding young artists-it is well worth your time and money.