Art
Art
By Yazmine Reza
GENRE
Seriocomedy
SETTING
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
TIME & PLACE
An Apartment In Paris, 1990s
CAST SIZE
3m
SYNOPSIS
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 friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” This is where the friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds.
CHARACTERS
Marc: (30’s-60’s) is an aeronautical engineer, arrogant, overbearing, self-righteous. He decided to hate modern art one day and has never made a singular effort to understand it since. This disparagement and bewilderment have only intensified as Serge, his long time best friend, has grown more and more enamored with it.
Serge: (30’s-60’s) is a rather-successful dermatologist. He’s made enough money in recent years to venture further into the world of modern art, becoming a connoisseur, a man who increasingly uses words such as deconstruction in regular conversation. He is a pretentious ass, but there is something genuine about his love for the Antrios he has bought. He can be cruel but is perhaps the most honest of the three - at least about the things they don’t talk about.
Yvan: (30’s-60’s) is a sales representative. He’s had a profoundly mediocre career up until this point and has just made a switch into the stationery business of his to-be uncle-in-law. Yes, Yvan is getting married, entirely because his mother sat him down for tea one day and said in no uncertain terms it would happen before she died or else. Yvan’s a people-pleaser, melodramatic, self-pitying, highly emotional, passive aggressive. It is obvious to everyone in his life that he’s been in love with both Marc and Serge for as he’s known them.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
PRODUCTION TEAM
Create a video presentation of you explaining your initial design for Art. Research the given circumstances and themes of the show to help form your designs. Visuals are expected to communicate your design unless you are sound. Sound is expected to discuss mood and atmosphere through musical score. Costume, Hair, Makeup create for all 3 characters. Publicity think of the entire brand package in other words how can your initial logo translate to the other elements you use to publicize. Assistant Director explain how you can see yourself contributing in a directing capacity, what you hope to learn and what specific elements within this script need to be highly focused on in order to make a successful production. Below are some food for thought bullet points:
Production Design influenced by Modern Art elements or interior design that feels like an art gallery
Jazz music for score is traditionally utilized
Proscenium vs thrust vs arena (LGI we can set up a pipe and drape stage if we are not in BlackBox)
Defend your color palette choices
The paintings should stand out- often a focal point. How can each area of design make the painting pop not work against it?
Unit set
More than one entrance/exit preferred
3 apartments in total - Which painting is being displayed indicates different apartment
SUBMIT TECH PRESENTATIONS HERE
PERFORMERS
Sides will be utilized during each audition phase. Though you are not required to memorize you need to come in prepared to act/audition. Prior to auditions: Research the show and understand the personalities of each character. Know the premise of the show and what they are arguing about. This is literally 90 minutes of friends being brutally honest and unapologetically arguing. I am looking for 3 people who have the stamina, chemistry, rhythm and wryness to drive this style show. An actor's intonation and delivery has to have grit and flexibility. Keep in mind this is a seriocomedy therefore arguments are a combination of intensity and humor. Highbrow comedy is at play therefore there may be words you may not know. LOOK THEM UP. Yvan is pronounced Ivan. The duo scene below will be everyone’s initial audition.
Initial Audition Side HERE
By Yazmine Reza
GENRE
Seriocomedy
SETTING
Contemporary, Unit/Single Set
TIME & PLACE
An Apartment In Paris, 1990s
CAST SIZE
3m
SYNOPSIS
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 friendships. At the breaking point, Serge hands Marc a felt tip pen and dares him: “Go on.” This is where the friendship is finally tested, and the aftermath of action, and its reaction, affirms the power of those bonds.
CHARACTERS
Marc: (30’s-60’s) is an aeronautical engineer, arrogant, overbearing, self-righteous. He decided to hate modern art one day and has never made a singular effort to understand it since. This disparagement and bewilderment have only intensified as Serge, his long time best friend, has grown more and more enamored with it.
Serge: (30’s-60’s) is a rather-successful dermatologist. He’s made enough money in recent years to venture further into the world of modern art, becoming a connoisseur, a man who increasingly uses words such as deconstruction in regular conversation. He is a pretentious ass, but there is something genuine about his love for the Antrios he has bought. He can be cruel but is perhaps the most honest of the three - at least about the things they don’t talk about.
Yvan: (30’s-60’s) is a sales representative. He’s had a profoundly mediocre career up until this point and has just made a switch into the stationery business of his to-be uncle-in-law. Yes, Yvan is getting married, entirely because his mother sat him down for tea one day and said in no uncertain terms it would happen before she died or else. Yvan’s a people-pleaser, melodramatic, self-pitying, highly emotional, passive aggressive. It is obvious to everyone in his life that he’s been in love with both Marc and Serge for as he’s known them.
AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
PRODUCTION TEAM
Create a video presentation of you explaining your initial design for Art. Research the given circumstances and themes of the show to help form your designs. Visuals are expected to communicate your design unless you are sound. Sound is expected to discuss mood and atmosphere through musical score. Costume, Hair, Makeup create for all 3 characters. Publicity think of the entire brand package in other words how can your initial logo translate to the other elements you use to publicize. Assistant Director explain how you can see yourself contributing in a directing capacity, what you hope to learn and what specific elements within this script need to be highly focused on in order to make a successful production. Below are some food for thought bullet points:
Production Design influenced by Modern Art elements or interior design that feels like an art gallery
Jazz music for score is traditionally utilized
Proscenium vs thrust vs arena (LGI we can set up a pipe and drape stage if we are not in BlackBox)
Defend your color palette choices
The paintings should stand out- often a focal point. How can each area of design make the painting pop not work against it?
Unit set
More than one entrance/exit preferred
3 apartments in total - Which painting is being displayed indicates different apartment
SUBMIT TECH PRESENTATIONS HERE
PERFORMERS
Sides will be utilized during each audition phase. Though you are not required to memorize you need to come in prepared to act/audition. Prior to auditions: Research the show and understand the personalities of each character. Know the premise of the show and what they are arguing about. This is literally 90 minutes of friends being brutally honest and unapologetically arguing. I am looking for 3 people who have the stamina, chemistry, rhythm and wryness to drive this style show. An actor's intonation and delivery has to have grit and flexibility. Keep in mind this is a seriocomedy therefore arguments are a combination of intensity and humor. Highbrow comedy is at play therefore there may be words you may not know. LOOK THEM UP. Yvan is pronounced Ivan. The duo scene below will be everyone’s initial audition.
Initial Audition Side HERE