[NEohioPAL]Beck Center's Unbelievable Ticket Offer - THIS LAST WEEKEND ONLY!

Thu Jun 5 01:40:24 PDT 2003

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Can't get outside because of the rain?
Been to the theater lately?
Buy one Main Stage ticket . . . get one free . . . this weekend only at =
The Beck Center!
=20
This means only $19 for two adults
to attend an evening of exceptional professional theater!
=20
A R T
A Comedy
(Fabulous reviews from Plain Dealer's Jim Damico and the Scene's =
Christine Howey!! - see below)
=20
The Beck Center for the Arts                                            =
Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 p.m.
17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood                                  Sunday =
at 3:00 p.m.=20
=20
Call the Box Office at 216-521-2540 and mention this BOGO to receive =
your discount!
=20
James Damico - Special to the Plain Dealer - 05/19/03
Production underscores human quality=20

       Yasmina Reza's sly comedy "Art" is a lot like the minimalist =
white-on-white painting that serves as its controversial centerpiece. =
Because the French playwright sketches her three male characters as =
types, rather than drawing them in realistic detail, the trio and their =
compulsive wrangling may be interpreted, like the title abstract canvas, =
in a variety of ways.=20
       Fortunately, director Carol Dunne's choice in Beck Center's =
thoroughly winning production is to underline the warmly human qualities =
of these nattering neurotics. =20
       A couple of seasons back, a Cleveland Play House mounting took a =
more urbane and detached approach that turned the characters into quaint =
eccentrics to be laughed at.=20
       Keynoted by Brian Zoldessy's show-stealing portrayal of lovable =
nebbish Yvan, who serves as Ping-Pong ball to his two friends' merciless =
paddling, Beck's more embraceable version presents the comically =
quarrelsome threesome as fumbling fellow mortals to be laughed with.=20
       Dermatologist and self-styled aesthete Serge (Jeff Grover) buys =
the subject painting for a staggering 200,000 francs. Buddy and =
self-styled cynic Marc (Paul Floriano) reasonably considers this lunacy. =

       Over the 90-minute course of the intermissionless play, however, =
their friendly argument about modern art turns first rancorous, then =
downright vicious as the pair trash each other's behavior, beliefs and =
bedfellows. They drag Yvan into their bickering, when the poor shlump - =
suffering psychoanalysis, chronic unemployment and pending marriage to =
what his pals call a "gorgon" - only wants some soothing male bonding.=20
       The dispute eventually culminates in a hilarious vandalism of the =
painting, which, neatly enough, reconciles the trio to an even deeper =
relationship.=20
       Director Dunne productively channels all the windiness into =
filling the show's sails and hews her performers to the humanizing =
course. Veteran Floriano in particular lends his stone-cold-fish =
character a recognizable vulnerability and blundering innocence that =
make the guy improbably bearable. It's an admirably canny performance.=20
       Similarly, Grover manages to indicate the susceptible cracks in =
Serge's armored self-importance. Slighting none of the man's anal =
smugness, he drolly convinces us of the caring person struggling to =
emerge from an emotional cocoon.=20
       Zoldessy's Yvan is both a sketch and a little masterpiece. =
Excepting only an overly overwrought monologue about a =
wedding-invitation disaster, the actor etches out a picture-perfect =
rendering of a put-down, put-upon, indelibly decent loser. This Yvan may =
whine and whimper, but he will never abandon his impossible dream of =
someday, somehow achieving a mediocre normalcy.=20
       The triptych of entirely engaging performances on view here make =
a trip to this modern "Art" gallery a lot less painful than usual.
=20
White Power=20
=20
In Art, an all-white painting makes everyone see red.=20
=20
BY CHRISTINE HOWEY
=20
=20
=20
Perhaps it's a certain kind of straight woman's wet dream about =
heterosexual men: that they would actually spend hours heatedly =
discussing the vagaries of modern art, even as they sip Chardonnay and =
deeply probe their changing relationships. Yeah, that'll happen.=20
However unlikely the premise, playwright Yasmina Reza's Art, which won =
the 1998 Tony for Best Play and is now at Beck Center, has become =
something of a classic in the thoughtful-comedy genre. Set in France in =
pre-euro days, the dialogue (as translated by Christopher Hampton) =
centers around an all-white painting with barely perceptible diagonal =
white lines that the nouveau-riche Serge has purchased for 200,000 =
francs (at the time, around $40,000). Serge invites his old friend Marc =
to ogle and celebrate his new purchase, but after some rueful =
chin-rubbing, Marc declares the canvas nothing more than "a piece of =
white shit" and immediately begins to question his friendship with a man =
he now views as equally gullible and pretentious.=20
The third member of Reza's testosterone triangle is the rumpled and =
affable Yvan, a likable loser who works at a stationery store. Once he's =
dragged into this arch art flap, Yvan tries futilely to please each of =
his longtime buddies and becomes an indecisive tether ball, smashed =
between the icily defensive Serge ("Yvan thinks the painting is =
touching!") and the brutally aggressive Marc ("Yvan is a spineless =
ass-kisser!"). This competitive verbal jousting elicits plenty of laughs =
-- feeling at times like an upscale, slightly obscene version of =
Seinfeld -- but it also delves into deeper waters. The white painting =
emerges as an elegant metaphor for the often invisible elements of a =
viable friendship, especially the aspects of faith and trust. Does one =
confront a friend about a perceived poor decision? Or does he simply =
offer his support and move on? As the discussion develops, we discover =
that the traditional Marc was once Serge's mentor in things artistic, =
and Marc feels he's being usurped by the blandly offensive new artwork. =
Meanwhile all the desperately needy Yvan wants is temporary =
guys'-night-out shelter from his drama-queen fianc=E9e and his meddling =
mother.=20
After a rather stiff beginning, the Beck cast does well with this =
intriguing material. As the eager-to-please shmoo Yvan, achingly =
believable Brian Zoldessy is a mass of flinches as he cowers under the =
onslaught from his comrades. His mid-play monologue regarding the =
agonies of his impending wedding, though a bit too one-note, is both =
funny and pathetic. Jeff Grover is sleek as Serge, always the =
cosmopolitan sophisticate -- even while drawing blood, when he attacks =
Marc about his personal relationships. Fighting some fluffed lines, Paul =
Floriano brings a vulnerable strength to the caustic Marc. Director =
Carol Dunne keeps the pace tight and the laughs copious, up to the =
mildly unpredictable ending.=20
While the debate over minimalist art is a bit pass=E9, the issues raised =
in Art about what constitutes a true friendship are enduring -- =
certainly enough to fuel a rousing post-performance conversation while =
sipping, perhaps, a nice Pinot Grigio.=20
=20
See you at the Theater!
Yvette A. Hanzel
Director of Marketing
Beck Center for the Arts
17801 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH  44107
216.521.2540 ext. 225
Email:  yvette at beckcenter.org
Fax:  216.228.6050
=20

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<body lang=3DEN-US link=3Dblue vlink=3Dpurple =
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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font =
size=3D4
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Can’t get outside because of the =
rain?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font =
size=3D4
color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>Been to the theater lately?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font =
size=3D4
color=3Dred face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>Buy one Main Stage ticket . . . get one free . . . this =
weekend only
at The Beck Center!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D1 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font =
size=3D4
face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial'>This =
means only $19
for two adults<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><font =
size=3D4
face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial'>to =
attend an
evening of exceptional professional =
theater!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D1 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'><font size=3D6 color=3Dred face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:22.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:red;font-weight:bold=
;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>A</span></font></b><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'><font size=3D6 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:22.0pt;font-family:
Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:=
normal'>
<font color=3Dyellow><span style=3D'color:yellow'>R</span></font> <font =
color=3Dblue><span
style=3D'color:blue'>T</span></font><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dcenter style=3D'text-align:center'><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'><font size=3D6 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:22.0pt;font-family:
Verdana;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:=
normal'>A
Comedy<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

(Fabulous
reviews from Plain Dealer’s Jim Damico and the Scene’s =
Christine
Howey!! – see =
below)<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>The =
</span></font></b><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><b
  style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
  =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
  normal'>Beck</span></font></b></st1:PlaceName><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
 normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
 Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'> =
</span></font></b><st1:PlaceType><b
  style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
  =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
  normal'>Center</span></font></b></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><b
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
normal'> for the Arts<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0
</span>Thursday, Friday & Saturday at </span></font></b><st1:time =
Hour=3D"20"
Minute=3D"0"><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
 =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
 normal'>8:00 p.m.</span></font></b></st1:time><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><o:p></o:p></span></font></=
b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><st1:Street><st1:address><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
  normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
  Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>17801 Detroit =
Avenue</span></font></b></st1:address></st1:Street><b
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
normal'> in </span></font></b><st1:City><st1:place><b =
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:
  normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
  =
Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Lakewood</span></font=
></b></st1:place></st1:City><b
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
normal'><span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>=A0=A0=A0 </span><span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0</span>Sunday at =
</span></font></b><st1:time
Hour=3D"15" Minute=3D"0"><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font =
size=3D2
 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;
 mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>3:00 p.m.</span></font></b></st1:time><b
style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;mso-bidi-fon=
t-weight:
normal'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font =
size=3D2
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font =
size=3D5
face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:16.0pt;font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>Call the Box Office at 216-521-2540 and =
mention
this BOGO to receive your discount!<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

James
Damico - Special to =
the Plain
Dealer - <st1:date Month=3D"5" Day=3D"19" =
Year=3D"2003">05/19/03</st1:date> 
Production =
underscores
human quality 
 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =
Yasmina Reza's sly comedy "Art" is a lot like =
the
minimalist white-on-white painting that serves as its controversial
centerpiece. Because the French playwright sketches her three male =
characters
as types, rather than drawing them in realistic detail, the trio and =
their
compulsive wrangling may be interpreted, like the title abstract canvas, =
in a
variety of ways. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Fortunately, =
director Carol
Dunne's choice in <st1:place><st1:PlaceName>Beck</st1:PlaceName> =
<st1:PlaceType>Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><font=

size=3D2 color=3Dmaroon face=3DArial>'s thoroughly winning production is to underline the =
warmly human
qualities of these nattering neurotics.=A0 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 =
A couple of seasons back, a Cleveland Play House mounting =
took a
more urbane and detached approach that turned the characters into quaint
eccentrics to be laughed at. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Keynoted by =
Brian Zoldessy's
show-stealing portrayal of lovable nebbish Yvan, who serves as Ping-Pong =
ball
to his two friends' merciless paddling, Beck's more embraceable version
presents the comically quarrelsome threesome as fumbling fellow mortals =
to be
laughed with. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Dermatologist =
and self-styled
aesthete Serge (Jeff Grover) buys the subject painting for a staggering =
200,000
francs. Buddy and self-styled cynic Marc (Paul Floriano) reasonably =
considers
this lunacy. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Over the =
90-minute course of the
intermissionless play, however, their friendly argument about modern art =
turns
first rancorous, then downright vicious as the pair trash each other's
behavior, beliefs and bedfellows. They drag Yvan into their bickering, =
when the
poor shlump - suffering psychoanalysis, chronic unemployment and pending
marriage to what his pals call a "gorgon" - only wants some =
soothing
male bonding. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 The dispute =
eventually culminates
in a hilarious vandalism of the painting, which, neatly enough, =
reconciles the
trio to an even deeper relationship. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0 =A0=A0Director Dunne productively =
channels all the
windiness into filling the show's sails and hews her performers to the
humanizing course. Veteran Floriano in particular lends his =
stone-cold-fish
character a recognizable vulnerability and blundering innocence that =
make the
guy improbably bearable. It's an admirably canny performance. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Similarly, =
Grover manages to
indicate the susceptible cracks in Serge's armored self-importance. =
Slighting
none of the man's anal smugness, he drolly convinces us of the caring =
person
struggling to emerge from an emotional cocoon. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Zoldessy's =
Yvan is both a sketch
and a little masterpiece. Excepting only an overly overwrought monologue =
about
a wedding-invitation disaster, the actor etches out a picture-perfect =
rendering
of a put-down, put-upon, indelibly decent loser. This Yvan may whine and
whimper, but he will never abandon his impossible dream of someday, =
somehow
achieving a mediocre normalcy. 
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 The triptych =
of entirely engaging
performances on view here make a trip to this modern "Art" =
gallery a
lot less painful than usual.<o:p></o:p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<table class=3DMsoNormalTable border=3D0 cellpadding=3D0 width=3D"100%"
 style=3D'width:100.0%;mso-cellspacing:1.5pt;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 0in =
0in'>
 <tr style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:0'>
  <td style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3Dstoryhed1><b><font size=3D4 =
color=3D"#cc0000"
  face=3DVerdana><span style=3D'font-size:14.0pt'>White =
Power</span></font></b></span><font
  size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> =
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  </td>
  <td rowspan=3D2 valign=3Dbottom style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <p class=3DMsoNormal align=3Dright style=3D'text-align:right'><font =
size=3D2
  face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></=
font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:1'>
  <td style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3Dstorydeck1><b><font size=3D2 =
color=3D"#333333"
  face=3DVerdana><span style=3D'font-size:11.0pt'>In <i><span =
style=3D'font-style:
  italic'>Art</span></i>, an all-white painting makes everyone see =
red.</span></font></b></span><font
  size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> =
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:2'>
  <td colspan=3D2 style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <table class=3DMsoNormalTable border=3D0 cellpadding=3D0 align=3Dright =
width=3D176
   =
style=3D'width:131.85pt;mso-cellspacing:1.5pt;mso-table-overlap:never;
   =
mso-table-lspace:9.0pt;margin-left:6.75pt;mso-table-rspace:9.0pt;margin-r=
ight:
   =
6.75pt;mso-table-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-table-anchor-horizontal:ma=
rgin;
   mso-table-left:right;mso-table-top:12.25pt;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in =
0in 0in'>
   <tr height=3D20 =
style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes;height:14.85pt'>
    <td height=3D20 style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:14.85pt'>
    <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
    </td>
   </tr>
  </table>
  <p class=3DMsoNormal><span class=3Dstoryby1><b><font size=3D1 =
color=3Dblack
  face=3DArial><span style=3D'font-size:9.0pt'>BY CHRISTINE =
HOWEY</span></font></b></span><font
  size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'><a
  href=3D""></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:3'>
  <td style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
  font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
  </td>
  <td style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
  style=3D'font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
 <tr style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:4;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes'>
  <td colspan=3D2 valign=3Dtop style=3D'padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'>
  <table class=3DMsoNormalTable border=3D0 cellpadding=3D0 align=3Dright
   =
style=3D'mso-cellspacing:1.5pt;mso-table-lspace:2.25pt;mso-table-rspace:2=
.25pt;
   =
mso-table-anchor-vertical:paragraph;mso-table-anchor-horizontal:column;
   mso-table-left:right;mso-table-top:middle;mso-padding-alt:7.5pt 7.5pt =
7.5pt 7.5pt'>
   <tr style=3D'mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes'>
    <td valign=3Dtop style=3D'padding:7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt 7.5pt'>
    <p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
    style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
    </td>
   </tr>
  </table>
  <p><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Perhaps
  it's a certain kind of straight woman's wet dream about heterosexual =
men:
  that they would actually spend hours heatedly discussing the vagaries =
of
  modern art, even as they sip Chardonnay and deeply probe their =
changing
  relationships. Yeah, that'll happen. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  <p><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>However
  unlikely the premise, playwright Yasmina Reza's <b><i><span =
style=3D'font-weight:
  bold;font-style:italic'>Art</span></i></b>, which won the 1998 Tony =
for Best
  Play and is now at </span></font><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><font =
size=3D2
    face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Beck</span></font></st1:Pl=
aceName><font
   size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> =
</span></font><st1:PlaceType><font
    size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Center</span></font></st1:=
PlaceType></st1:place><font
  size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>, has
  become something of a classic in the thoughtful-comedy genre. Set in =
</span></font><st1:country-region><st1:place><font
    size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>France</span></font></st1:=
place></st1:country-region><font
  size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'> in
  pre-euro days, the dialogue (as translated by Christopher Hampton) =
centers
  around an all-white painting with barely perceptible diagonal white =
lines
  that the nouveau-riche Serge has purchased for 200,000 francs (at the =
time,
  around $40,000). Serge invites his old friend Marc to ogle and =
celebrate his new
  purchase, but after some rueful chin-rubbing, Marc declares the canvas
  nothing more than "a piece of white shit" and immediately =
begins to
  question his friendship with a man he now views as equally gullible =
and
  pretentious. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  <p><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>The
  third member of Reza's testosterone triangle is the rumpled and =
affable Yvan,
  a likable loser who works at a stationery store. Once he's dragged =
into this
  arch art flap, Yvan tries futilely to please each of his longtime =
buddies and
  becomes an indecisive tether ball, smashed between the icily defensive =
Serge
  ("Yvan thinks the painting is touching!") and the brutally
  aggressive Marc ("Yvan is a spineless ass-kisser!"). This
  competitive verbal jousting elicits plenty of laughs -- feeling at =
times like
  an upscale, slightly obscene version of <i><span =
style=3D'font-style:italic'>Seinfeld
  </span></i>-- but it also delves into deeper waters. The white =
painting
  emerges as an elegant metaphor for the often invisible elements of a =
viable
  friendship, especially the aspects of faith and trust. Does one =
confront a
  friend about a perceived poor decision? Or does he simply offer his =
support
  and move on? As the discussion develops, we discover that the =
traditional
  Marc was once Serge's mentor in things artistic, and Marc feels he's =
being
  usurped by the blandly offensive new artwork. Meanwhile all the =
desperately
  needy Yvan wants is temporary guys'-night-out shelter from his =
drama-queen
  fianc=E9e and his meddling mother. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  <p><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>After
  a rather stiff beginning, the Beck cast does well with this intriguing
  material. As the eager-to-please shmoo Yvan, achingly believable Brian
  Zoldessy is a mass of flinches as he cowers under the onslaught from =
his
  comrades. His mid-play monologue regarding the agonies of his =
impending
  wedding, though a bit too one-note, is both funny and pathetic. Jeff =
Grover
  is sleek as Serge, always the cosmopolitan sophisticate -- even while =
drawing
  blood, when he attacks Marc about his personal relationships. Fighting =
some
  fluffed lines, Paul Floriano brings a vulnerable strength to the =
caustic
  Marc. Director Carol Dunne keeps the pace tight and the laughs =
copious, up to
  the mildly unpredictable ending. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  <p><font size=3D2 face=3DVerdana><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>While
  the debate over minimalist art is a bit pass=E9, the issues raised in =
<i><span
  style=3D'font-style:italic'>Art</span></i> about what constitutes a =
true
  friendship are enduring -- certainly enough to fuel a rousing
  post-performance conversation while sipping, perhaps, a nice Pinot =
Grigio. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
  </td>
 </tr>
</table>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><b style=3D'mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'><font =
size=3D3
color=3Dred face=3D"Lucida Calligraphy"><span =
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:
"Lucida =
Calligraphy";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:red;font-weight:bold;
mso-bidi-font-weight:normal'>See you at the =
Theater!<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D3 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. 20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Yvette A. =
Hanzel<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D3 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. 20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Director of =
Marketing<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span
  style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Beck</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
 yes'> </span></font><st1:PlaceType><font face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span
  style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Center</span></font></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><fo=
nt
face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
yes'> for the Arts<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><st1:Street><st1:address><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span
  style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:yes'>17801
  Detroit Avenue</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
yes'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><st1:place><st1:City><font size=3D3 face=3D"Modern =
No. 20"><span
  style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Lakewood</span></font></st1:City><font
 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
 yes'>, </span></font><st1:State><font face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span
  style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:yes'>OH</span></font></st1:State><font
 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
 yes'><span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>=A0 =
</span></span></font><st1:PostalCode><font
  face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
  yes'>44107</span></font></st1:PostalCode></st1:place><font
face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span style=3D'font-family:"Modern No\. =
20";mso-no-proof:
yes'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D3 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. 20";mso-no-proof:yes'>216.521.2540 ext. =
225<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D3 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. 20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Email:<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>=A0 =
</span>yvette at beckcenter.org<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoAutoSig><font size=3D3 face=3D"Modern No. 20"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt;font-family:"Modern No\. 20";mso-no-proof:yes'>Fax:<span
style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>=A0 =
</span>216.228.6050<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"><span =
style=3D'font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

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