‘Art’ by Yasmina Reza will make you question everything (in the best way possible)

Posted on 29 August, 2022

Some narratives are so sweet that you almost don’t notice the creeping bitter aftertaste and ‘Art‘—a comedy by French playwright Yasmina Reza—is such a tale.

Its French charm, sulfurous view of male relationships, and savage wit have been brought to life by director Shelly Higgs, unfurling on stage at The Street Theatre on Tuesday 6 September and staying with audiences long after that.

But it’s the complexities of friendships that sit at the heart of this goofy, uplifting production—a wry wink to Yasmina’s sharp observation between two friends, Marc and Serg.

Following the story of how their friendship becomes disarmed when Serg seeks Marc’s honest opinion on his recently purchased all-white painting, Shelly explains that the simple critique of a piece of art evokes an existential tidal wave, where beliefs are dismantled and big questions are asked.

“Art brings up things like judgment and taste straightaway. Because can you actually be friends with someone who judges you the whole time? So, it feels like the judgment of the artwork is actually the judgment of the person,” she says.

“Then there’s also this thing of taste—how could you like that? In today’s times, artwork is absolutely linked to politics because it’s what divides people. And think why she used the art to tell this story is because it’s something that we look at, that we put up that we attribute value to, and it’s actually quite subjective”.

Shelly’s wildly experimental and creative directorial lens has painted ‘Art’ on stage with liberal brushstrokes. As the actors move between scenes, what dances behind them is this ever-changing black and white painting that bends and contorts with the themes of the play in beautifully controlled harmony—a feeling, perhaps, as opposed to a noise.

“I began with discussions with designer Imogen Keen, and one of the first images we came up with was a playground, a blank canvas [to use the metaphor in the play] on which we could see them bounce around and bounce off each other and interact with each other in different ways,” she says.

“We’re treating it like a painting, it’s an abstract artwork, and then it’s sort of it changes throughout it to where the focus is drawn to it. So, there’s all this funny stuff going on, but it’s also about what’s going on underneath that.”

It’s clear that this talented director has been able to uniquely reimagine this play while holding tightly onto the meaning that lives in Yasmina’s words. And as Shelly reflects, you can almost touch the synergy that flows between these two women, bound by ‘Art‘ and profoundly, their age.

“I’m the same age as Yasmina when she wrote this production, and I think there is something really delicious in that,” says Shelly.

“She’s this leading global playwright, and maybe because of that she has this astute way of  understanding relationships. I think that has something to do with the fact having a certain amount of life experience allows you have an understanding and to see the complexity in the relationships”.

“That’s beautiful because you can see that it’s not black and white. There’s not just an easy answer. It’s complex, and it isn’t easy—sort of like our own life”.

Such is the power of this wildly entertaining play that walks the line of humour and existentialism as effortlessly as butter melting in the warm sun. It’s a kind of je ne sais quoi that Shelly has managed to put her finger on.

“It’s like a bright sparking mineral water—effervescent, moving quickly and fun to be with. But you have to watch that the bubbles don’t get up your nose.”