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Art

Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy  /  3m

In this caustically hilarious Tony and Olivier Award-winning comedy, three men test the bounds of their friendship as they debate the value of a modern painting.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    105 Minutes
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! 1998 Tony Award for Best Play
    Winner! 1998 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play
    Winner! 1998 Evening Standard Award for Best Comedy
    Winner! 1997 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy
    Winner! 1995 Molière Award for Best Commercial Production

Details

Summary

How much would you pay for a white painting? Would it matter who the painter was? Would it be “art”? One of Marc’s best friends, Serge, has just bought a very expensive painting. It’s about five feet by four, all white with white diagonal lines. To Marc, the painting is a joke, but Serge insists Marc doesn’t have the proper standard to judge the work. Another friend, Ivan, though burdened by his own problems, allows himself to be pulled into this disagreement. Eager to please, Ivan tells Serge he likes the painting. Lines are drawn, and these old friends square off over the canvas, using it as an excuse to relentlessly batter one another over various failures. As their arguments become less theoretical and more personal, they border on destroying their relationship. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” The friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath affirms the power of those bonds.

History

Christopher Hampton’s translation of Yasmina Reza’s ‘Art’ premiered at Wyndhams Theatre in London on October 15, 1996. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the production featured Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott. On March 1, 1998, the play premiered on Broadway at the Royale Theatre. Directed by Warchus, the Broadway production featured Alan Alda, Victor Garber and Alfred Molina.

Cast Attributes
MARC
SERGE
YVAN
  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 105 Minutes

Media

“Wildly funny, naughtily provocative.” – New York Post

“A nonstop crossfire of crackling language, serious issues of life and art expressed in outbursts that sound like Don Rickles with a degree from the Sorbonne… Reza is a fiendishly clever writer.” – Newsweek

“Anyone looking for a play that is funny, sophisticated, stylish, stimulating and moving should go to 'Art'.” – Independent

“That such a simple plot can throw up such profound and meaty ideas about the rules that dictate art and friendship is a real treat. Reza and Hampton have an acute ear for the idiocies, trivia and petty assaults that pepper the conversation between friends… The real pleasures come from Reza’s creation of three beautifully defined, original characters.” – Mail on Sunday

“In October I called it a minor classic. Let’s change that to classic comedy, period.” – London Times

Licensing & Materials

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Scripts

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Authors

Christopher Hampton

Christopher Hampton became involved in theatre while studying French and German at Oxford University, and wrote a play in his first year.

The Royal Court's subsequent production was so successful that it transferred to the Comedy Theatre while he was still a student, making hi ...

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