Stage Door News
Stage Door News
The Grand Theatre is thrilled to bring ART to the MainStage, a comedic play that explores the idea of what, if anything, defines art – and friendship. The production opens on February 24thand features returning artists E.B. Smith, who starred as Martin Luther King, along with Nigel Shawn Williams, who directed last season’s critically acclaimed The Mountaintop.
ART begins when Serge spends an enormous sum of money on a piece of artwork that appears to be nothing more than a white canvas. He shows his friend, Marc who is not impressed and believes his friend has been taken in. Their mutual friend, Yvan attempts to make peace but ends up only making the situation worse. The three friends begin a conversation about what is art, but end up going through an unexpected journey exploring the meaning of their friendship.
“It’s interesting that ART written by a female playwright about art but also relationship between men,” said Nigel Shawn Williams, director of ART. “At the core of the play is the ability to be honest, to communicate; the catalyst for that discussion is art.”
The cast features three accomplished actors. E. B. Smith (Yvan) returns to The Grand Theatre (The Mountaintop, 2016) and this past summer he appeared in All My Sons and Macbeth at The Stratford Festival. Making his Grand debut is Sam Kalilieh (Serge) known for his roles in Western (NextStage), Enchanted Loom (Cahoots/Factory), Age of Arousal (Factory Theatre), as well as roles in 12 Monkeys and Saving Hope. Michael Spencer-Davis (Marc) returns to the Grand Theatre (The Stone Angel, 1999), and recently appeared in Stratford Festival’s Shakespeare in Love and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
ART is a French-language play by Yasmina Reza. It premiered in Paris at the Comedie Des Charms – Elysees in 1994. The show’s was so popular it opened in London in 1996 and had an eight year run. It’s interesting to note that the opening-night cast featured London, Ontario’s own Victor Garber as Serge, who played alongside Alan Alda as Marc, and Alfred Molina as Yvan. The show then made its way to New York where it ran 600 performances and won a Tony Award for Best New Play.
ART opens in previews Tuesday February 21st with opening night on Friday, February 24th at 8:00pm. Performances run through March 11th 2017. Tickets range from $29.95 to $82.50 (includes HST and CIF – prices subject to change), and are available at www.grandtheatre.com, by phone at 519-672-8800, or at the Box Office, 471 Richmond Street.
About The Grand Theatre
The Grand Theatre, a leading regional theatre, is located in the heart of Downtown London, Ontario. It produces and presents professional performances on The Grand Stage and in the McManus Studio Theatre. The Grand season runs from September to May.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Written by Yasmina Reza
Translated by Christopher Hampton
FEATURING
Sam Kalilieh SERGE
E.B. Smith YVAN
Michael Spencer-Davis MARC
ARTISTIC & PRODUCTION PERSONNEL
Nigel Shawn Williams DIRECTOR
Denyse Karn SET DESIGNER
Lisa Wright COSTUME DESIGNER
Bonnie Beecher LIGHTING DESIGNER
Verne Good SOUND DESIGNER
Kelly Luft STAGE MANAGER
2017-02-13
London: The Grand Theatre presents Yasmina Reza's "ART" February 21-March 11