"Art" The Play...Guild Hall...A Must-See

Our Fabulous Variety Show, in association with Nimbus Productions, did a fabulous job of bringing “Art,” the award-winning comedy by the French playwright, Yasmina Reza, to life at Guild Hall. The standing ovation the cast received, at the end of Saturday night’s performance, was well deserved.

Set in Paris in 1997, this one-act, full-length comedy revolves around three, long-time friends, and the chaos that ensues after one of them makes an over-the-top purchase of a painting of questionable artistic worth. The white-on-white canvas itself acts as a silent, yet, menacing character, often looming larger-than-life, and inadvertently inspiring fight after fight after fight. Speaking of fights, a special shout out to fight director Robert Aronowitz for making the physically violent moments appear frighteningly true to life.

Joe Pallister, a highly charismatic actor and an East End favorite of mine, convincingly played Serge, a wealthy dermatologist with a penchant for art. Mr. Pallister delivered his lines with passion and conviction, and commanded the stage with his every calculated move and gesture.

Edward Kassar was excellent as Marc. He portrayed this cynical man with just the right amount of arrogance and snobbery to make his performance come across as a brutally honest study of the all-too-familiar love/hate relationships we sometimes have with those closet to us.

Sawyer Spielberg gave a stellar performance as the good-natured, people-pleasing, insecure, Yvan, and received some of the best laughs of the evening. Mr. Spielberg is a natural when playing physical comedy. During the scene where he re-enacts a phone call that he had earlier with his guilt-tripping mother, his facial expressions, comedic timing, and body language had the audience roaring with laugher. Equally impressive were the many tender moments when he showed his character’s more vulnerable side, revealing that Mr. Spielberg is a multi-talented actor, with a most promising future.

What really makes this production work, however, is the intense chemistry among the three actors. The sparks, fireworks, and spontaneous combustions that take place throughout this 90-minute show kept the audience riveted in their seats, which by the way, are only inches or at most feet away from the main action.

Produced by Anita Boyer and Kasia Klimiuk and aptly directed by Jenna Mate, this show is theater at its best: a good script, great acting, and superbly staged. You don’t want to miss it. Our Fabulous Variety Show’s production at Guild Hall runs from April 25th through May 5th. Tickets are $28 and student and group rates are available. https://www.ourfabulousvarietyshow.org/

Cindi Sansone-Braff is an award-winning playwright, and the author of two spiritual self-help books, “Grant Me a Higher Love,” and “Why Good People Can’t Leave Bad Relationships.” Her full-length romantic comedy, “Angel’s Mice and Men,” will have its world premiere at the Hudson Guild Theater as part of the NY Summerfest 2019 Theater Festival on July 30,31, and August 3. http://newyorktheaterfestival.com/angels-mice-and-men/