By Yasmina Reza
A Teacher’s Guide

Table of Contents
Audience Etiquette………………………………….……………….…3 Characters……………………………………….……………………...4 Synopsis………………………………...…………………………….…4 The Source...…...……….……..………..……………………………….6 The Playwright………..………….....……………..……………………7 Glossary of Words……………..……………………………………….8 Follow-up Considerations……………………………………………10 Internet Resources……………….……………………………………12

The Alley salutes its 2001-2002 Education & Community Outreach Season Co-Sponsors:

its Student Matinee Sponsor:

its Production Co-Sponsors:

and Large Stage Season Sponsor:

2

Audience Etiquette
For many of your students, a visit to the Alley may be their first theatre experience. It may be helpful to discuss what they can expect or to have other students relay their own experiences about theatre productions they have seen. Another important point to review is the difference between live theatre and watching a movie or television. Noise Live theatre means live actors who can hear not only what is happening on the stage, but in the audience as well. While laughter and applause at appropriate times are appreciated by the actors, excessive noise and talking is not. Any sort of distracting noise—humming, sighing, chewing gum, or carrying electronic devices—is discouraged. Cell phones, chiming watches and pagers must be turned off during the performance . Applause Applause is used to acknowledge the performers and to voice appreciation or approval. Traditionally, applause comes before intermission and at the performance’s conclusion. These intervals are usually signaled by dimming the lights on stage and bringing up the house lights. A curtain call in which the cast returns to the stage for bows usually follows a performance. Applause is not expected every time the lights are dimmed or between scenes. Cameras The use of recording equipment of any kind is not permitted in the auditorium before, during or after the performance. Furthermore, the Alley reserves the right to confiscate any laser pointers seen inside the auditorium. Visiting the theatre should be an entertaining activity, but it is also one, which requires consideration for fellow audience members as well as the actors on-stage. Unnecessary noise disturbs everyone. Knowing what is expected of you as a member of the audience can make the theatre experience more enjoyable for all involved. The approximate running time of ART is 90 minutes. There will be no intermission.

3

Characters
Marc is a forty-something aeronautical engineer who prides himself in fending off "modern culture." He withholds no judgments and spares no feelings, yet still expects the eager endorsement of his friends. Serge, a divorced dermatologist, is steeped in modernity, but cannot fully appreciate his cultured lifestyle unless it is validated by those around him. Yvan is the youngest of the trio, both chronologically and psychologically. A lifetime of yo-yoing between decisions and kowtowing to his friends and family is beginning to take an emotional toll on him.

Synopsis
ART begins with what will be the first of many revelations from Marc, a single, forty-something aeronautical engineer. In the opening moments, he confides two key points: "My friend Serge has bought a painting." and "Serge is one of my oldest friends." Over the course of the play, Marc, along with his friends Serge and Yvan, will struggle to reconcile the emotions generated by these two seemingly innocuous statements. The first major encounter takes place at Serge's apartment, where Marc sees for the first time, "the painting." Serge, a dermatologist and devotee of modern art and culture has recently purchased (for the sum of 200,000 francs) a "canvas about five feet by four: white." According to Serge, the painting, an original Antrios, is a steal at this price, but Marc is not convinced and feels that his friend has squandered an enormous amount of money on a trivial piece of art. Marc's opinion is thinly veiled and his attempts to diffuse the situation with humor after the fact fail, as Serge takes a defensive stance demanding to know by what standards Marc is evaluating the painting. Neither man is willing to recant and so the two part. Once alone, Serge confides that it is alright if Marc doesn't like the painting, but the arrogance with which he dismissed it is unbearable. Marc, too, is disturbed by the encounter and cannot believe that "Serge, [his] friend, could have bought that picture." Looking for affirmation of his viewpoint, Marc decides that he must speak with Yvan, the third member of this trio. Yvan, who is accepting to a fault, is plagued with his own set of problems, including a new job in the stationery business and his impending marriage. When Marc arrives at Yvan's apartment, Yvan is frantically searching for the cap of his felt-tip pen and generally seems distracted. Marc, intent on gaining Yvan's support in the painting argument immediately steers the conversation towards Serge so that he can reveal what he considers to be his friend's great folly. Yvan, however, in standard form, will offer nothing more than a non-committal, "If it makes him happy..." Marc insists that the problem is more serious than Yvan realizes, that Serge won't even laugh at himself anymore. Yvan remains unconcerned and assures Marc that he can get Serge to laugh. The next scene opens with Yvan visiting Serge. Eager for approval, Serge brings out the Antrios for Yvan, who reacts with well-meaning but uninspired appreciation. Yvan casually asks the price, as if he didn't already know and when told, responds with a reassuring, "very reasonable." This prompts Serge to burst into laughter and Yvan quickly follows. After they recover from this release, Serge mentions Marc's

4

response to the painting, and Yvan again acts as if he is hearing this news for the first time. Constantly on a pendulum, he affirms Serge while still trying to excuse Marc's behavior, but Serge is not swayed and declares that Marc is "atrophying." When Yvan recounts his visit with Serge to Marc, he leads Marc to believe that the experience was more confrontational than it really was. Marc is incredulous that Serge actually laughed and deconstructs the moment until it is no longer just laughter but yet another indicator of the new Serge, "the collector." Yvan, maintaining the middle ground concedes that he didn't like the painting but also defends its integrity as a work of art. Marc claims that he is simply regurgitating Serge's mantra and asks Yvan of the painting, "Does it make you happy?" Now alone, each man grapples with his own situation: Yv an with the realization that he is incapable of happiness; Serge, with his need for affirmation; and Marc, with the results of his rapid-fire judgment. After purposing to be on his "best behavior," Marc visits Serge and agrees to give the painting a second viewing. Serge attempts to be conciliatory, saying that life is much too short to be consumed with something as trivial as a painting. Marc, too offers the proverbial olive branch, explaining that he tends to overreact and lacks judgment. To remedy this, Serge prescribes reading the classic philosopher, Seneca. Marc interprets the suggestion as a highbrow insult and the conversation that ensues is a clumsy exchange which culminates in Serge accusing Marc of having lost his sense of humor. As the tension between the two builds, Serge begins criticizing the absent Yvan, who is over half an hour late for their evening out. When Yvan finally does arrive he launches into a lengthy self-pitying explanation of why he is late: he has been trying, unsuccessfully to resolve the issue of whether or not stepmothers' names will appear on his wedding invitations. Nonplussed by this rant, Marc turns his frustration with Serge onto Yvan. He criticizes everything from Yvan's indecisiveness to his wedding plans to his artistic taste until defenseless, Yvan storms out of the apartment. Serge chastises Marc for the attack, and as Marc agrees that he has overstepped his bounds, the doorbell rings. When Serge opens the door, Yvan enters already talking, explaining that he returned because he felt an obligation to help Marc with his "insane aggression." He reveals that he has discussed both Marc and Serge with his therapist and offers to share Finklezohn's (the therapist) insights on their relationship. The two men are furious that Yvan has divulged information about their personal lives to a complete stranger but agree to hear what he has to say. Finklezohn's thoughts are so complicated that Yvan has written them down and must pull out his notes to read to Marc and Serge. The analysis is a convoluted syllogism which essentially questions the boundaries of self-identity within a friendship. Marc and Serge dismiss it as nonsense and shame Yvan for wasting his money on such pursuits while they continue critiquing each other's every move. They finally come to blows when Serge refuses to apologize for calling Marc's girlfriend, Paula, "a life-denying woman." However, the only actual punch lands on Yvan, who is trying to intervene. Although not seriously injured, he reacts as if he is and is disturbed that Marc and Serge call only a brief timeout to assess the damage. The three begin to question the very tenets of their friendship, struggling to remember what drew them together in the first place. They dismantle everything about each other, from artistic tastes to character flaws until there is nothing left to assault but the catalyst for it all, the painting. Serge asks Yvan for a felttip marker and gives the pen to Marc, urging him towards the canvas. Yvan watches in horror and disbelief as Marc draws a skier on a slope on the Antrios. When Marc is finished, Serge's only response is, "I'm starving. You want to go eat?" Our final view of these friends is again at Serge's, as together they clean the marker off of the painting. Each man, n a private moment, reveals the hopeful uncertainty that he has for repairing this broken i relationship. Yvan, deeply shaken by what he has seen finds himself almost constantly on the verge of tears but is comforted by Serge's show of self-sacrifice. Serge grapples with the after effects of dishonesty: he knew when he gave Marc the felt-tip that it could be cleaned. Now he must question the value of his sacrifice. Marc, normally the most straightforward of the three closes the play with a cryptic verse which ends: My friend Serge, who's one of my oldest friends, has bought a painting. It's a canvas about five feet by four. It represents a man who moves across a space then disappears. Marc's poem and the men themselves are, much like the painting, left open for interpretation.

5

The Source
Award-winning playwright and author, Yasmina Reza, was first an actor, typically being cast as a temptress, but she says, "I never played a role I really loved." She credits this experience with compelling her to write. However, unlike some actors-turned-writers, she says that she does not write to generate roles for herself but rather to create an alternate means of expressing herself. This is particularly interesting since Reza's greatest commercial and critical success to date has been ART, in which she very convincingly crafts dialogue for a trio of male friends. The context of the play way born out of an encounter she had with one of her own friends, Serge Goldszal, to whom she dedicated the play. He bought a painting similar to the white-on-white which is the focus of ART and showed it to Reza. Describing the scene, she says, "I laughed and said, 'You must be mad.' and then we both laughed. He loves the painting and knew I might not, and we laughed because our complicity was in no way spoiled. But if he hadn't laughed and had thought that the choice revealed his friends in another light..." ART is, essentially, the dialogue that might have taken place if Goldszal had not been receptive to Reza's laughter. She attributes the difference in reactions in part to the natures of the relationships. Hers is a friendship between a man and a woman, but she alleges that friendship among men is unique. She describes it as "terribly rigid," and says, "often men have no real friends, F rench men at least. They have colleagues, contacts, but not friends and when they do it is very strong, possessive, rigid. All the men who saw ART said it is amazing, how did you understand this or that? I said I understood nothing, I just noticed." She embraces the opportunity to "notice" things in this way saying, "I like the freedom that men have in speaking. Women are not allowed that. We are taught to be polite. It is very funny for a woman to write as a man because you can say things you would not dare say as a woman." This on-looker perspective allows her to fashion in ART a humorous and sometimes painfully accurate view of the complexities of friendship, a dynamic which she describes as "at least as strong and as difficult as love."

6

The Playwright
Yasmina Reza (b. 1959) studied at Paris X University and later at the Jacques Lecoq Drama School. She began working as an actress in France and appeared in numerous plays by contemporary authors as well as plays by Molière, Marivaux, and Sacha Guitry. In 1987 she wrote Conversations after a Burial for performance in France and won the prestigious Molière Award for best author as well as many other awards. Following its performance in France, the play was produced in translation in Europe and South America. Reza's French translation of Steven Berkoff's adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel The Metamorphosis for performance by Roman Polanski was nominated for the 1988 Molière Award for translation. Winter Crossing (1990), her second play, won the 1990 Molière Award for best fringe production that year. ART premiered in Berlin and opened in Paris in 1994, where it won the Molière Award for best author, best play, and best production. It also won prizes in London for best comedy and in Germany for best foreign play. The Unexpected Man (1995) was produced in London, France, and several other European countries. It was revived in 1998 by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Barbican in London and has also played in New York. In addition to playwriting, Yasmina Reza has also been engaged in screenwriting, with two recent films shown in Europe: See You Tomorrow and Lulu Kreutz's Picnic. Her novel, Hammerklavier, was published in 1997.

7

The Terminology of ART
The following are terms that appear in ART, which may be unfamiliar. Gelsemium and Ignatia: Paula, Marc's girlfriend recommends these homeopathic remedies to Marc to help soothe his nervous stomach and headache. Quibbling: Marc faults Yvan for quibbling, or shifting the focus of an argument. Vellum: The "world of vellum" to which Yvan refers is not a new galaxy on Deep Space Nine but is instead, a reference to his new job in stationery, since vellum is a strong, light colored paper. Monastic: Yvan's charge that Serge's home is becoming increasingly monastic is a comment on the apartment's modern, minimalist, monastery-like decor. Monochromatic: This term is used to describe an object which consists of only one color or hue. A contemporary example is the tone-on-tone trend in men's fashion which pairs ties and shirts of the same color. Atrophied: Serge implies that Marc's mind, like a muscle that has not been used, has withered and become incapable of performing its job or atrophied. Aesthete: Marc labels Serge with this term to suggest that Serge perceives himself as being particularly sensitive to artistic beauty. Trajectory: By referring to the painting as a "part of a trajectory," Serge and Yvan are saying that it is involved in a progression of art and is not an isolated, meaningless piece. Categorical: A categorical argument is one that is absolute or unqualified. Seneca: Serge recommends that Marc read the works of this leading Roman intellectual and philosopher of the first century to help him simplify his life. Seneca's most notable writings are essays on Stoic philosophy, which directs its followers to make no overt displays of emotion but instead to accept equally both the good and bad events in life. Ostentatious : Serge is concerned about the placement of his new painting being too ostentatious or showy. Pompidou: This arts complex named after former French president Georges Pompidou is located in Paris and houses the National Museum of Modern Art. Deconstruction: This is a method of literary analysis initiated by French philosopher Jacques Derrida which seeks to find multiple layers of meaning, including an author's 8

intentions, in a text by examining the different components of the text and considering how those same parts have been used in the past. Obsequious: This term indicates that Yvan has few, if any opinions of his own, and those that he does have are seldom expressed out of deference to his friends. Paul Valery: Considered by some intellectual circles to be one of the great modern philosophers, this French writer began his career as a symbolist poet but is best known for his later poetry and prose which present the conflict between contemplation and action. Ehlers Danlos Syndrome : A rare hereditary disorder that results in highly elastic skin, abnormally flexible joints and fragile body tissues, this condition has no simple cure. Aberration: Serge is near his cruelest point when he declares Marc and Yvan to be "an aberration," or a deviation from that which is normal. Gorgon: Marc lobs yet another insult at Yvan by likening Catherine, his fiancee, to one of these snake-haired sisters from Greek mythology. Apocalypse: Yvan uses this term, referring to prophecies of an ultimate destruction of the earth, to characterize the apparent demise of his friendship with Marc and Serge.

9

Follow-up Considerations
WHAT IS ART?
• According to Webster's dictionary, art is "an aesthetic object produced through the conscious use of skill and creative imagination." However, this definition is open to interpretation and as a result, the label ART has been attached to anything ranging from the Mona Lisa hanging in the Louvre to a six-year old's finger-painting taped to a refrigerator door. In your opinion, what defines art? Is a particular level of skill or training necessary to create art or can anyone be inspired to greatness? Is the process involved in creating a work of art as important as the finished product? Does a work have to evoke a universal theme in the minds of its observers in order to qualify as art, or is it enough that it is simply beautiful, interesting, etc. Consider these questions as you select three items which you consider to be works of art. You may visit local museums and galleries, research in books and on the Internet or use you own work or that of someone you know. However, whatever pieces you choose, you must obtain an accurate visual representation of each of them. Once you have these images, you should mount them on a piece of poster board so that they can be displayed as a group. Look for common themes or characteristics among them. Is there a specific element which unifies them or did you choose each for a unique reason? If so, what are those reasons? Using these ideas, prepare a five to ten minute presentation in which you will show your classmates your concept of art and explain why each piece qualifies as such. Make sure to include in your presentation the names of the artists whose work you are discussing. If the artist is identified with a specific artistic movement, also include that information. Be prepared to respond to questions from the class.

WHAT IS TRUE EXPRESSION?
• In ART, Yasmina Reza provides her characters with many different means of expressing themselves. Three of the most common are silence; monologues, in which one character speaks at length without interruption; and Brechtian speeches, in which the character "breaks the wall" between the world of the play and reality and directly addresses the audience. Silence can be a very effective communication tool and is used throughout the play by each of the characters. It serves a variety of functions, from a defense mechanism to a form of punishment. Discuss all of the uses of silence that you can remember from ART. What is the function of the silence in each scene. Now choose one of those scenes and revise it so that instead of silence, the character reacts with a monologue. As you write the monologue, consider what must happen in the rest of the scene as well as the character's nature and mannerisms. Do not change the content of the scene, only the way in which the ideas are expressed. After you have written the monologue, form a group with two other classmates. In turn, act out each of your revised scenes, using the monologue as its basis. Then, perform your monologue for your partners using the Brechtian technique. Address them directly as your audience rather than as characters in the scene. After all members of the group have performed their Brechtian speeches, discuss with each other which of the three versions of the scenes, silence; the monologue or the Brechtian speech was most effective in expressing the characters' thoughts and emotions. Why?

10

WHAT IS VALUE?
• Clearly, these two men disagree about the value of the painting, but its cost remains unchanged. For Serge, the cost is insubstantial because the value of the piece is great; however, for Marc, the cost is astronomical because the value is non-existent. What is the distinction between the value of an artwork, a concert ticket or a piece of memorabilia and the item's actual cost? What people or influences in society establish the value and cost of an item? Are the two necessarily related or do they operate independently of one another? Explore these questions by examining what our collective culture considers valuable. Listed below are five items shown in the catalogs of Sotheby's, the world's premiere auction house. Beside the name of each item is its selling price or estimated selling price. Consider what you think each item is worth and rank them in order from least to greatest. Explain why you made the choices that you did and how you determined the value of each item. Did you make your decision based on the monetary value of the piece or were your rankings motivated by other factors, such as interest in the person associated with the item or sentimental attachments? What additional information about each item might alter your rankings? Share your rankings and justifications for them with the class.

Cocktail dress worn by Princess Diana of Wales: Estimated selling price, $30,000-$40,000 Bat used by Mark McGwire: Selling price, $6,900 Fur vest worn by Cher: Selling price, $1,265 Painting by Pablo Picasso: Selling price, $275,000 Photograph of Marilyn Monroe: Estimated selling price, $900-$1,000

WHAT IS COMEDY?
• Webster's dictionary defines comedy as "the genre of dramatic literature dealing with the comic or with the serious in a light or satirical manner." What elements do you think are necessary in order for a play to be classified as a comedy? Is there a difference between a play which includes comic characters and one which revolves around a comic situation? How is it possible for a play to address a serious issue in a "light manner?" What techniques might a playwright use to relieve tension when a comedy becomes too serious? Consider these questions as you think of five examples of comedies that you have read or seen and evaluate them. For each play, describe the comic characters, the situation and the devices that the characters use to relieve tension. Be specific. Rather than describing a character as "funny," explain what makes him or her funny.

11

WHAT IS A FRIEND?
• ART playwright, Yasmina Reza has said, "I have the feeling that friendship is at least as strong and as difficult as love. We are used to thinking that it is easier to be a friend...but that is not so." Do you agree or disagree with her statement? How do you choose your friends, or do they choose you? What can make friendship challenging? Does the fact that it requires work mean that a friendship is not worthwhile? Are friendships static or do they evolve over time? Use these questions to help you brainstorm ideas for a brief essay or discussion.

WHAT IS DUTY?
• The characters in ART struggle with the issue of honesty in their friendships. Each of them, at some point in the play must choose between saying what he thinks and sparing his friends' feelings to preserve the relationship. What, if any, obligation do friends have to be honest with one another? Does a half-truth told to avoid conflict ultimately cause the same damage as an overt lie? Weigh both sides of this argument by making a list of pros and cons for absolute honesty in a friendship.

Internet Resources
Teachers: Always preview web sites before suggesting them to your students. http://www.gmu.edu/departments/fld/CLASSICS/sen.vita.html Exercise your Latin skills by visiting this site which features the full text of Seneca's De Vita Beata. http://www.centrepompidou.fr/pompidou/home.nsf/docs/fhome The on-line home of the National Museum of Modern Art, this site offers virtual gallery tours. http://www.lissack.com/writings/warsaw1.htm “Metaphor and Art--Organizational Sensemaking and Yasmina Reza’s Play” By Michael R. Lissack, Henley Management College

12