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Art is in the eye of the beholder. This statement couldn’t be more true than in the Penobscot Theatre Company’s newest offering, “Art,” the Tony award-winning play written by Yasmina Reza.
The show is about three friends, Marc (Michael Carleton), Serge, (Mark S. Cartier), and Yvan (Adam Kuykendall), who clash when Serge buys a $75,000 painting that is solid white. The confrontation stretches far past that when the friends realize that none of them share the same taste and all of them have stereotypes and expectations of the others that are selfish and unreasonable at best.
On the surface, this is a play about friendship, but underneath that, it’s a story of the roles people play and the expectations they have of those around them. Three stereotyped extremes are represented: classic, modern and neutral. This allows for most to be able to at least moderately connect with one of the characters.
The brilliance of this play comes from the monologues that break up the majority of the scenes. The monologues offer an honest insight into what the characters are actually thinking outside of the arguments and sarcastic banter.
Beyond this, one truly interesting contrast offered is the set variations from scene to scene. The audience is presented with three living rooms. One is home to a painting of a vase and water is served. The next has a landscape painting in the same location and beer is served. Finally, in the home of the white painting, hard liquor is served. This simplistic yet powerful contrast of scenery allows for the differences in taste and stereotypes to be expressed beautifully.
One of the most refreshing aspects of this show is the character of Yvan. It’s not even necessarily the character, but rather Kuykendall’s portrayal. His ability to seem perfectly narcotic while astoundingly neutral enhances scenes that seem a little too drab. One such scene drags on with a dialogue between Serge and Marc for close to 15 minutes. Suddenly the doorbell rings a song of salvation as Yven bursts onto the stage delivering a five-minute rant about his wife, wedding and mother. Not only did he save this scene, he went on to prove just how talented an actor he is by causing a seemingly impromptu comedy-fest that had the entire audience tearing up with laughter. It’s important to note that the actor who steals the show, Kuykendall, is the only local talent in “Art.”
The Penobscot Theatre Company consistently puts out shows that are enjoyable, but its production of “Art” surpasses any expectations one usually has when entering the Bangor Opera House.
“Art” runs on Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for all students on the day of a showing if it has not yet been sold out.
Bangor Daily News