ICC Fine Arts opens the 2022-2023 Fine Arts Season with the performance of ART, initially written in French by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton. Performances take place September 29-October 2 in the William Inge Theatre; admission is free.
This award-winning play is a hilarious look at the bonds of friendship viewed through the prism of modern art. Their friendship is tested when one friend purchases a blank all-white painting for €200,000. As the questions between friends move from theoretical to personal and confrontational, their friendship hangs in the balance, and the question becomes: how much is a painting worth?
"It's really an exploration of the connection that binds people together," explains Paul Molnar. "The expectations, the way they interact with each other, is hilarious, touching, and really exciting."
Though the play continues to be analyzed and debated, what Art is really about – is the meaning or value of art, a rejection of modernism, the nature of friendship, the politics of aesthetics, or the creative process itself. And while there are certainly laughs galore, underneath the characters' wit and self-deprecation are basic human yearnings for meaning and connection.
Yasmina Reza is a French playwright, novelist, and actress best known for her satiric plays that speak to contemporary middle-class anxieties.
"I hope you get the opportunity to come out and support our theatre and students," says Molnar. This production of Art is really going to share some wonderful performances, the set is fantastic and it's going to be a really great time at the theater."