(Posted March 1, 2006)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – There are few pleasures more welcome than seeing an old friend after 10 years. Particularly when that friend has gotten even better with age.

That's the case with Murfreesboro Ensemble Theatre's recent revival of Yasmina Reza's ART. The comic examination of friendship seems even more relevant in the alienated post-9/11 era than it did when this play opened in October 1996 at the Wyndham's Theatre in London with Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott in the roles now played by Richard Northcutt, Tom Harris and Crosby Hunt.

Why more relevant now? Because in this time of unease and paranoia, it's even easier to understand how one event could challenge years of convivial acquaintanceship. While the "white-on-white" painting at the center of this play is certainly not the tragedy of 9/11, both nevertheless force a reassessment of relationships to other people and the world.

This show became a phenomenon in London, running for more than six years and utilizing 27 different casts.  It won the 1996 Olivier Award for Best Comedy, and then copped the 1998 Tony Award for Best Play when it premiered on Broadway two years later.

It's easy to understand why ART was so well-liked beyond its universal theme of friendship - it's well written, funny and fairly short (about 85 minutes running time with no intermission). But the play is not "actor-proof": you still need performers who can take the ideas in ART and breathe emotional truth into them.

Director Ayne Cantrell couldn't have cast her production any better. Northcutt, Harris and Hunt are veteran performers who slip into the roles of Marc, Serge and Yvan comfortably and believably.

Northcutt's Marc, who is mad at his friend Serge for purchasing a minimalist work in which Marc sees no aesthetic value, is a self-righteous upholder of traditional mores who would be completely unlikable in the hands of a lesser actor. Thankfully, Northcutt knows how to make Marc a more balanced character so that he doesn't become boring after the second or third cutting remark.

Serge is handled just as adroitly by Harris. He, too, could be just as great a self-righteous prig in his modernist way without the humanity that Harris reminds us he has. It's not easy to develop that kind of complexity in roughly 1-1/2 hours, but with 50 years of theater under his belt, MET's artistic director knows the nuances of his acting instrument and how to play it.

As Yvan, Hunt has the difficult task of bridging the gap between Marc and Serge in the story while also acting with two performers who could easily outshine most of their fellow thespians. He is equal to their work, while producing wonderful moments of physical comedy and comic confusion that keep ART from becoming too heavy in its march toward dramatic resolution.

Michael Reinhardt's set design is a perfect compliment to these assured performances. The stage is bathed in off-white walls and floor, while the furniture - including chairs for Marc and Serge that clearly identify their view of the world - reinforces both characters and theme.

Cantrell's direction allows for just the right variance of pacing so that important moments aren't rushed while the play hums along at a good clip. She's cast well, made sure the piece is framed appropriately and honored her actors' commitment by giving them the freedom to interpret Reza's work in a fresh, stimulating way.

As one of the theatergoers who saw the original London production, I'm happy to see that my old friend ART has only gotten better with age. And it's nice to make the acquaintance of MET, a theater company I'm sure Murfreesboro has taken great pride in calling one of their own since 1997. If you haven't already attended a MET performance, hopefully you'll get acquainted with them this year, too.

To See The Show…

ART ended its run on Feb. 26. For more information on Murfreesboro Ensemble Theatre's past and future productions, click here.