Friendship, Disagreements, and Wit in Yasmina Reza’s ART

Three men. One painting. $200,000.

In Yasmina Reza’s ART, a play that was revived on Broadway last year, three lifelong friends are forced to reevaluate what binds them together after one of them, Serge (Neil Patrick Harris), spends $200,000 on a large canvas that appears to be entirely blank. Serge insists—in a matter-of-fact, obnoxious tone that Patrick Harris perfects—that the painting contains hints of red and stripes of white seen only by those who know how to appreciate it. Portraying Serge’s stubborn friend Marc, Bobby Cannavale maintains his signature New Jersey accent as he criticizes Serge for buying this “piece of [EXPLETIVE].” People-pleasing Yvan (James Corden) is the irresolute peacemaker in this conflict, unwilling to tell Serge that he secretly agrees with Marc. Ultimately, these disagreements about whether the painting qualifies as “art” almost ends their friendship. ART is able to focus on these friends because of its simple plot, which allows its three well-developed characters to take center stage to deliver a relatable and engaging comedy.

In ART, Reza plays with what is left unsaid between friends. Often, the characters’ true feelings are only revealed when they suddenly break the fourth wall. The play opens with one such moment: the lights turn dark blue and a spotlight appears on Marc, who explains Serge’s purchase to the audience. The play ends similarly, with Yvan explaining that his two friends ultimately decide to repair their friendship over a dinner out. These bits progress the plot and increase dramatic irony.

Corden delivered a standout performance. He perfectly embodied the nervous, all-over-the-place Yvan and provided most of the show’s comedic relief. In one particular scene, Yvan interrupts a quarrel to explain his dilemma: whether or not to include his and his fiancée’s stepmothers’ names on his wedding invitations and risk different family members skipping the event. Corden’s frantic delivery and well-timed, dramatic breaths made his monologue one of the funniest moments of the play. “People who’ve gotten married before […] respond to that speech differently from younger people who haven’t experienced that before […] when you watch something, you bring in your own perspective and that’s cool. That’s what theater is about. There’s something that the three guys [Cannavale, Corden, and Patrick Harris] talked about a lot that I’ve really picked up on, which is that theater is such a unique art form because you’re sitting with 900 other people experiencing the same one performance only, and then you all leave,” said Michael Shulman, one of ART’s lead producers, in a Zoom interview.

The show’s plot is straightforward, making ART feel more like a series of short scenes. It features a series of minimal set changes that bring characters from Serge and Yvan’s homes. The play’s simplicity highlights its message on long-term friendships. Will these men let one disagreement about a painting ruin their 25-year long friendship? It soon becomes clear that their dispute isn’t about the painting at all—longtime issues are revealed, like when Serge calls Marc’s wife repellent and reveals that he hates how she bats away cigarette smoke. “It’s a relatively simple play in its looks, it’s about three guys and a white painting, but [it’s] actually a very complex play because it deals with friendship, and how we argue, and how we get along, even if we have different opinions. And that, to me, is a really powerful discussion to have,” Shulman said. ART certainly succeeded in prompting discussions; outside the theater, I overheard chatter about how the three men handled their dramatic disagreements and ultimately salvaged their friendship.

I left the play surprised at how open these three men were about their emotions, particularly at the end, when Marc admits his dependence on Serge for validation and how he felt abandoned after his friend’s purchase. Part of the reason that ART is able to uncover complex emotions is because it’s a three-man show; in 90 minutes, audiences are able to absorb these men’s shared past, heated present, and uncertain future.

I attended a special performance of ART for public New York City high school students which was made possible by the Broadway Education Alliance. Broadway is not accessible to many students, with ticket prices averaging from $100 to $150. “I fundamentally believe that if we don't encourage young people to see art and experience art […] we’re not going to encourage them to create their own art […] we’re not going to really have the next great artists or thinkers,” Shulman said.