The multi-awarded French play ‘Art’ by Yasmina Reza, translated into English by Christopher Hampton, has opened in Manila through Repertory Philippines under the direction of Victor Lirio. A comedy that unfolds in one act with no intermission and runs for nearly 90 minutes, the play centers on three friends whose friendship goes under intense scrutiny when one buys an odd, very expensive piece of artwork.

Serge (played by Martin Sarreal), Marc (Freddy Sawyer), and Yvan (Brian Sy) have been friends for 15 years. Trouble begins when Serge buys an “Antrios painting” for 200,000 francs, a white painting with some shades of off-white, which Marc considers a complete waste of money. Marc and Serge argue about the purchase, buttons are pushed, and sharp words are exchanged. Both friends turn to Yvan, hoping he will mediate, but Yvan prefers to take a softer approach, telling each one what they want to hear. After all, Yvan is about to get married and he’s got troubles of his own that’s brewing.

Without an intermission, the play runs through several scenes: duets, monologues, and a final extended gathering of the three characters, where they finally confront each other head-on. At first, the conflict seems to be about the painting, a debate over classicism versus post-modernism but beneath the surface, it’s way more than that. In order to truly address the issue, their relationship is placed under a microscope. What we witness is a friendship being renegotiated. Fifteen years is a long time. They’ve changed. Dynamics have shifted, but they haven’t been honest with themselves about it.

The play in itself is funny. There’s a lot of use of repetition – characters repeating what the other is saying as a means to heighten tension and humour – and the three friends can be very catty, using their personal history to make barbed remarks at the other’s expense. I don’t know why I want to say it’s very French, even though I’ve only seen three French plays (translated into English) but it has that appeal and charm.

But watching the opening night of the show, I was having a hard time connecting with the piece. Martin Sarreal, a Filipino British actor who is living in Britain, and the Brit actor Freddy Sawyer have a very English attack on the characters. Their accents are on full display while Brian Sy speaks naturally without an English inflection. The delivery of Sarreal and Sawyer are razor-sharp but dry. It’s cold while Sy has the Filipino warmth to his Yvan. Because of these tonal differences, I had such a hard-time seeing the three as friends for 15-years. 

Because of the brutality of each one’s verbal attack, and the coldness to which the two more active characters take their offensive, it felt like they hadn’t been friends for a long while now and this approach feels like it loses some of the play’s charm. It’s so vicious that I wonder how they even made it to this point. When I imagine it as French – I’ve never been to France and have only spoken to very few French people, but I am basing it on a lot of French cinema I’ve seen and the caricatures that are presented on comedy shows – and I imagine that the snobbish and aloof stereotype of the French could get away with such stinging remarks of a friend.  But Sy has so much warmth that it amplifies the cold British dry humour of Sarrel and Sawyer that I felt the play’s exploration of friendship wasn’t hitting the right cues.

There are other aspects of the show that confused me, like how the play begins with a movement piece between the three friends that interpret as an imagery of their friendship over time. It’s such a strange place to start when the play in itself is so verbose and articulate. Most of the time, the characters stay on set, and listen to each other’s monologues, which removes the privacy and intimacy of some of what is being said. 

I really love Sarreal’s laser-sharp focus and Sawyer’s ability to portray Marc’s posturing. I’ve also always been a fan of everything Sy has done, both on stage and in film. However, I didn’t really see the connection on the opening night. The play in itself is funny and surprising, and I’m hoping that later shows will flesh out their relationship more.

My Rating:

See this acclaimed production brought to life by a powerhouse cast and a globally seasoned creative team. Art runs exclusively at REP’s Eastwood Theater until June 29. Catch it before the final curtain call. Buy tickets at Ticketworld or Ticketmelon.