'ART'
by Yasmina Reza
Translation by Christopher Hampton
Directed by Valerie Haugen
Scenography by Lon Winston


Local troupe bests Broadway production of "Art"
By Judy King (Special to The Valley Journal & the Glenwood Post Independent)

Attending a performance of "ART" on Broadway several years ago, I found the polished production of Yasmina Reza's brilliant comedy amusing and insightful; but it is the Thunder River Theatre Company performance that evokes belly laughs, stirs empathy and stimulates thinking.

In the aftermath of a natural disaster threatening Glenwood Springs, followed by a human tragedy that cruelly depleted the valley's artistic community, the playbill's reference to art's cathartic function resonates. So too do the Director's Notes by Valerie Haugen, making her directorial debut after many years of memorable stage roles. "Survival and growth come from imbuing change with meaning. Our power is in choosing to make change meaningful."

The changes that the trio of old friends undergoes are like the play itself subtle, substantive and wildly funny. "ART" is a witty study of how aesthetic values, personal tastes and emotional crises impinge on and are shaped by complex, enduring interpersonal connections. The deceptively simple plot how fault lines in a three-way friendship unexpectedly crack open with the purchase of a painting that is the stuff of cultural satire is underlined by character sketches humming with humor, thundering with depth.

Lon Winston, the troupe's artistic director who has played small parts in many productions, now demonstrates what he can do with a meaty leading role. Winston portrays to perfection the cantankerous classicist, Marc, whose incredulity at the price paid for the questionable canvas spills over into impassioned aesthetic objection and personal grievance. From flawlessly nuanced twinges of irritation to eruptions of rage, from embittered mockery to dazzlingly articulate declaration, Winston digs deep to divulge the charm, vanity and poignancy of a fiendishly articulate and relentlessly exacerbating character.

Richard Lyon is endearingly funny as Serge, the dermatologist devotee of modern art, whose enthusiasm is touching as his ultimate defense of his right to his own preferences and passions is moving. Lyon has a delightful knack for depicting characters savoring small pleasures. Serge's excitement in deciding upon where to place his painting is palpable.

Michael Miller brings characteristic gusto to the role of the good-natured Yvan, alternating self-searing but hilarious monologues with clumsy attempts at mediation between his fiercely quarreling friends. As the intensity of their mutual antagonism wears the would-be peacemaker down to a core of disappointment, anger, and deeper reservoirs of affability, Miller skillfully reveals the engaging dimensions of a sensitive, likeable neurotic capable of confronting his limitations.

The trio sparkles, playing off one another like the pros they are, delivering biting dialogue through intricate interactions and shifting alliances as seismic changes rupture the structure of friendships. All three can turn on a dime from exuberantly funny, pathos-edged posturing to powerful outbursts of unadorned truth, to the cautious emergence of conciliatory impulses.

Studying posters of previous TRTC productions, I recall insightful interpretations of Ibsen and Chekhov exquisitely rendered, relish the memory of a rousing time-machine adventure in the last weeks of the old millennium. Then there was the courageous woman diving into dangerous waters in a play performed last autumn in the wake of September 11. And this past spring, amid anguished national debate on issues of loyalty and conscience, local audiences were treated to the stunningly original retelling of an ancient myth.

This resident company represents theatre at its finest as Lon Winston and his troupe anticipate, depict, define and elevate our daily struggles and uneasy dreams. Their productions shake us into uproarious laughter and sting our eyes with tears, sharpen our thoughts and sweeten our feelings. This is why we should all be extending a heartfelt thank you to Thunder River Theatre Company for its shining relevance to our lives in these uncertain times.



Lon Winston, Artistic Director
Thunder River Theatre Company

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