Review: (Montreal) ART

l-r Donald Rees, Nir Guzinski, Sean Curley (Photo credit: David Reudelhuber)

Younger take on ART misses the white canvas mark 
Brave New Productions opens 10th year with Reza play

Sarah Deshaies

Marc, Serge and Yvan are three men whose friendship has lasted 15 years. But as the night unfolds, it looks like it's all going to fall apart right in front of you.

The reason for this is that Serge has purchased a deliriously expensive piece of modern art - a huge white canvas, with faint traces of lines - purchased for a whopping 200,000 francs. Serge believes it's a modern masterpiece, but when he first shows it to Marc, the latter cannot cover up his smug disapproval of what is essentially a chalk-white canvas, or, a “piece of shit.”

A Bunch of Actors Just Sittin' Around Talkin' - about ART and Brave New Productions

About the Actors by the Actors
Donald Rees, Sean Curley and Nir Guzinski talk ART

DONALD: Welcome to a unique interview between the cast members of Brave New Productions 'ART'. My name is Donald Rees and I'm here with Sean Curley and Nir Guzinski to talk about the show which opens February 28th at Theatre Ste Catherine. We seem to have such great conversations when the three of us are together, and although there have been lots of promo for the show, we haven’t had a chance to do any of it together. We already know the best questions to ask each other, so let’s start at the beginning:

How did all of this get started? Do you guys remember how you initially approached the project?

SEAN: Well, it was Donald who approached me with an idea for the next project following The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later. I brought up a couple of plays that I thought would be fun to put up, both are written by John Patrick Shanley; 'Where's My Money' and 'Psychopathia Sexualis.' While he was busy reading those plays, he had suggested I take a look at 'ART,' which eventually won out over the others. By then I already knew which character I was wanted to portray.

DONALD: That's right. Sean is full of suggestions. Once he and Clarisse Desire (our make-up artist for Callistro The Great) cornered me and tried to persuade me that Brave New Productions next play should be a futuristic war piece. They almost had me convinced, but then Sean fell off the stage and somehow the subject was never touched upon again. I really wanted to do Psychpathia Sexualis. That's the one with the socks right? I was trying to figure out a way to do both Art and that one. I remember Sean got back to me and said he wanted to take on Yvan and I was a bit shocked. Only because Yvan has a two page monologue. I still want to do Psychopathia Sexualis. There's just too many projects I'd like for us to do together. If only we had more (any) funding. We (BNP) don't normally go around letting people pick their roles, but Sean was just so incredible in last years Callistro The Great (unbelievably professional and an all around joy to work with) that a joyous exception was made.

SEAN: Hey 1984 is still on the table as far as I'm concerned, I just haven't located a script. And as far as falling off the stage goes, I spoke to some audience members following the show and the majority of the comments hinted that it looked part of the performance....that's all I gotta say about that.

NIR: It was during our drive to our Toronto presentation of The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later that I found out about Brave New Productions next project: ‘ART’. While driving with Emma, Sean and Kenny Wong, I overheard that auditions were being held for one character in this three man show! Emma had hinted that they were looking for a fresh new face.. and as my wrinkly face had just appeared in their last two plays... I assumed I had to let this one go! But at the Laramie wrap/cast party, a tipsy Donald approached me and insisted I audition! ... So i did! Coming into the audition i have to admit I was pretty nervous, but auditioning alongside Sean and Donald made it much more comfortable! And to my surprise, my wrinkled face became fresh again and I was offered the role of Marc!! I was thrilled to portray such an obnoxious, egotistical, pompous character, being such a prick myself, it was right up my alley!! ... In all seriousness, I was looking forward to the challenge of playing a very different personality than my own, and in a comedy with two other incredibly talented, hilarious individuals!

Sunday Feature: David Reudelhuber, Producer, Brave New Productions, on Art

 

l-r Donald Rees, Nir Guzinski, Sean Curley (Photo credit: David Reudelhuber)

Brave New Productions, all grown up
Yasmina Reza, the painting, the men
by David Reudelhuber

Sitting at his breakfast bar overlooking misty downtown Montreal, Donald Rees and I are supposed to be discussing our plan for Brave New Productions 2013. But the conversation has veered off (as it often does) into banter about our next vacation, our end of year party and subsequent arguing about who has the best cell phone. After 10 years as friends and collaborators, we have learned to speak to each other in factoids, not unlike text messaging. A free-flowing dialogue of opinions on various topics that would sound bizarre to anyone listening in.

Donald: I’m thinking we should have a Muppet in the end of year video.
David: Cool. Do you think I should buy my sweaters for Fall now or wait? I need new sweaters.
Donald: Wait. Do you want tea or something? I have this new tea...I think you should be the sole producer of ‘ART’.
David: What kind of cookies are those? I love your new couch! So modern.

The Sunday Read: Donald Rees on The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later

Learning Laramie
by Donald Rees

I've always wanted to work on The Laramie Project. I read the original script almost a decade ago and it moved me. But ten years ago, the idea of Brave New Productions putting on a show that called for over 75 characters seemed far too ambitious. Over the years, the original Laramie Project has gone on to be one of the most performed plays in modern theatre. Schools and independent theatres love to do it, and it's easy to see why. Not only is the story emotional and important, on the practical side of things very few physical elements are required to bring Laramie to life, except for the actors.