New Rep Theatre's ‘ART’ Opens This Weekend at the Arsenal Center

Can a work of art tear friends apart? You can find out starting this weekend as the New Repertory Theatre opens its production of 'ART,' by French playwright Yasmina Reza.

The play premiered in Paris in 1994, opened in London two years later with an English language adaptation, and hit Broadway in 1998 with a 600 performance run. Reza earned international acclaim that year, receiving both a Lawrence Olivier Award for best comedy and a Tony Award for best play.

The New Repertory Theatre’s production of 'ART' features Doug Lockwood, Robert Pemberton, and Robert Walsh.  The actors portray three friends – Yvan, Marc, and Serge – whose 15-year friendship is tested when Serge buys a pricey painting. The artwork challenges each friend’s sense of self-worth and ultimately asks the question, "What does our taste in art say about who we are as individuals?"

"It is no wonder why 'ART' has become one of the most popular and produced plays of the last 20 years: it is rich, complex, full of paradox. This level of humanity makes it seem like the most humorous of tragedies or the most heart-breaking of comedies," says show Director Antonio Ocampo-Guzman in a New Rep press release.

Tempers flare as the characters continue to use the painting as an excuse to attack one another over previous failures, putting their longtime friendship in jeopardy.

"I'm particularly excited by the quality of work from all the members of our team," Ocampo-Guzman says. "It is wonderful to make a play with some of the best actors, designers, and staff in Boston and to share it with one of the most demanding and discerning of audiences."

'ART' opens Sunday, Jan. 15 with performances at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The play runs through Febr. 5 in the Charles Mosesian Theater at the Arsenal Center for the Arts. For show times and ticket prices, visit the New Rep’s website.