I’ve seen three productions of Yasmina Reza’s scathing 1995 comedy Art over the last thirteen years or so. The dialogue kicks up sparks in this play about three longtime friends who argue over a picture composed entirely of white paint. Specifically, two of the friends bicker over the artistic merit of the painting while a third tries to appease them. Things get very personal from there. As the show alternates between heated interactions and monologues pitched directly to the audience, it becomes as much about the role-playing dynamics of male friendships as aesthetic standards.
Art is the first full theatrical production from QLive!, the performance arm of Q Cinema. They’ve enlisted Artes de la Rosa’s artistic director Adam Adolfo to direct. Adolfo can discuss the intricacies of Shakespearean theater with the casual mastery that most people can only apply to football and reality TV, so the juicy nuances in Reza’s play probably won’t escape him. Art runs 8pm Fri & Sat through Nov 26 at Firehouse Gallery, 4147 Meadowbrook Dr, FW. Tix are $15.
