Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning comedy ART is making its way to Beijing with a twist! Directed by Donnie Fan, ART will be presented at Nanyang Theater on August 20 at 7:30 PM.
First premiering in 1994, ART is a comedy focusing on three longtime friends: Serge, Marc, and Yvan. When one of them indulges his passion for modern art by purchasing a large, costly, entirely white painting, it triggers a comical yet painfully truthful discussion that threatens to unravel their years of friendship.
The comedy explores themes of taste, pride, and the vulnerability of friendships. One man's modern art acquisition becomes a focal point for past disputes, unvoiced judgments, and changing alliances. Another friend is appalled, struggling to comprehend why anyone would invest so much in “a completely white painting.” The third friend, torn between them, attempts to mediate – only to find that his efforts complicate matters further.
Now, the twist: In this version of the play, the three friends have been replaced by an all-female cast, with the characters renamed to Sylvia (Serge), Yvonne (Yvan), and Mary (Marc).
We spoke with Fan about his choice to adapt ART, and he shared with the Beijinger: “LOW BUDGET! (laughs) But genuinely, one of the great aspects of ART is its minimal physical demands. The main ‘prop’ is essentially a whiteboard. At its core, Yasmina Reza's ART delves into our expectations of ourselves and others and the chaos that can ensue in relationships. I believe there isn’t a single person on the planet who can’t relate to that. In today's society, where individuals quickly analyze their own actions or judge others through lenses like MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), the play remains as relevant now as it did in the '90s.”
Fan also explained his motivation for recreating the play with female roles, stating: “Transforming the roles to women provided a completely new perspective on the dynamics at play. The original male characters possess a specific rhythm and energy, but when those same lines and situations are expressed through female friendships, the tensions, humor, and vulnerabilities manifest differently. There’s a subtle shift in how conflict unfolds, how pride is articulated, and how reconciliation occurs. It’s the same story, but the emotional dynamics alter in fascinating ways. I wanted the audience to recognize the universal themes, as well as appreciate the unique nuances women bring to these roles.”
We were interested to know if there had been any Beijing-specific adjustments, and Fan revealed: “We really aimed not to change anything aside from the pronouns, but we did make one significant visual alteration. The original play is set in a living room; we're staging it as if it occurs on an outdoor patio with a peaceful Chinese hanfu (汉服) backdrop. That decision wasn’t initially creative – it arose from necessity since our theater is currently hosting another production, and we couldn’t modify the existing set. However, it turned into an opportunity. It allowed us to explore movement, physical expression, and non-verbal communication in innovative ways, and I believe audiences will enjoy how we incorporate the setting.”
In the play, Xixi portrays Sylvia, Yiyi plays Yvonne, and Zoe takes on the role of Mary. We asked each actress about what they found easy to connect with and what was challenging to adapt for their respective characters.
Xixi: “Easy: being pretentious and wanting to educate others. Difficult to adapt to: having to limit physical movements while speaking.”
Yiyi: “Easy: embodying a character who is always trying to appease and is oblivious to her surroundings but strives to understand everything (even if it’s quite odd). Difficult to adapt to: portraying a character who is very emotional and experiences significant anxiety.”
Zoe: “Easy: playing a character who finds others foolish. Difficult to adapt to: expressing the need to control everything physically; channeling the deep frustration and anger she feels towards her friends; and balancing the natural wit and straightforward humor with the need to remain receptive to foolish responses.”
The comedy will be performed in English with Chinese subtitles and is suited for anyone who has defended a poor purchase, pretended to appreciate abstract art, taken a joke too seriously, or lost a friend over something trivial.
While the laughs are sure to be plentiful, ART is more than just a night of humor. It serves as an intervention masquerading as a girls' night out – a reminder that inside jokes fade, middle-aged friendships are akin to decades-long improv acts, and the people we cherish the most can often be those with whom we clash the hardest. See below for ticket details.
ART will be showing at Nanyang Theatre on Wednesday, August 20, at 7:30 PM. Tickets are priced between RMB 100-330 and can be purchased by scanning the QR code
Yasmina Reza's Tony Award-winning comedy ART is set to arrive in Beijing with a unique twist!