Does Riverwalk Theatre’s ‘Art’ live up to its name?

Throughout time, humans have argued about what art is. Whether this piece or that piece is truly art, and about the value — the monetary as well as the aesthetical — of art. Riverwalk Theatre’s latest production, “Art,” employs those debates as three friends battle about a white canvas. 

Serge (Alan Greenberg) has dived into the world of art speculation by purchasing a work of modern art his friend Marc (Andrew Stewart) dubbed a “piece of white shit.” The pair draw their malleable friend Yvon (Joe Clark) into the debate. The more he tries to bridge the gap between Marc and Serge, the deeper the chasm grows. 

“Art” isn’t really about the paint on the canvas, though. It is about the dynamics of friendships, and in particular, how friendships evolve and sometimes devolve. Yasmina Reza’s script brilliantly unwinds the complex feelings friends have when those dynamics change, especially as Marc begins to understand and admits to the real reason he hates the painting. 

Reza’s award-winning script has been translated from its original French, and the plot retains its Paris setting and cultural references. The snappy dialogue retains a je ne sais quoi quality that makes it feel continental. Suggested post-show discussion question: would American men dig this deeply into their relationship under similar circumstances? 

The show is a lean 90 minutes, which is an appropriate amount of time to tell this tale. The pace could be slowed down just a tad when Clark speaks, as he delivers Yvan’s woe-is-me tirades at such a fast clip that parts of his dialogue become obscured.  

With that said, Clark provides most of the energy in the show. His tour de farce monologue about parental politics on wedding invitations is easily the highlight of the show. Still, his manic performance highlights the unevenness of the acting. 

As Marc, Stewart has the physicality of the cool alpha of the group, but when he admits to vulnerabilities, his performance lacks emotional depth. Greenberg’s Serge is best when he is waxing poetic about his new acquisition, but the physicality of his performance often comes off as too stiff and actorly.  

“Art” is a masterful script about relationships, but it takes a deft cast to capture the intimacy and subtlety of the changing power dynamics among these friends. While this cast has put forth a very strong effort, much is lost in this translation.