There are three main characters and possibly a fourth if you want to consider a white on white canvas as a metaphoric appendage to the human condition.
Serge, played by Neil Patrick Harris, acquires a $300,000 white-on-white piece of art that he considers a great collector’s item. His purchase unknowingly positions Serge as a conduit for the other characters’ inner struggles. Harris presents himself well as a polished and sophisticated city type with a twist of vulnerability.
Marc, played by Bobby Cannavale, takes the liberty of his 25-year friendship with Serge to express his deep-rooted disapproval of the painting. Marc acts as the truth teller, the provocateur. He sets the tone and ethos of the play as he verbally chips away at social facades we guard so tightly. Bobby Cannavale’s performance radiates energy, and his character keeps you engaged thoroughly throughout the play!
Serge’s other close friend, Yvan, played by James Corden, is a stationery salesman and people pleaser, soon to be married.
Yvan, caught in the middle of his two friends, is the diplomat of the three. His self-doubt, insecurities, frustrations, and pre-marital woes peak into an impassioned monologue that left the audience mesmerized! But it was not the character’s monologue that mesmerized me…it was James Corden himself!
Corden’s stage presence is like “watching music” rather than just hearing it!! Without uttering a single note, Corden’s performance radiates music in his every gesture and movement. It clings to his very presence and is impossible to miss.
It is difficult to articulate or pinpoint how he masters the art of physical comedy while effortlessly weaving musical cadences into his speech. Like a conductor, he creates harmony from movement and sound. I don’t know if it is the English accent that makes it all the more elusive. Cannavale and Harris accentuate the magic with their own brand of funny!
And now the big question?
- How much honesty can our long-term friendships or relationships withstand without the weight of truth breaking the camel’s back?
- Will we allow ourselves to be vulnerable enough to suffer “the slings and arrows” of others’ opinions or inherently sheathe ourselves through defensiveness?
- How much can we say before it can never be unsaid again?
- Are we too fearful of being alone to accept the outcome of our honesty?
- Are resentments that are left to fester over time, the silent killers of a relationship?
- Do we soften the edge of the canvas to preserve our connections?
I don’t know.
But what I do know is that I will always refer to the “Human Condition” as a creative lens for any form of artistry … drawing from the full spectrum of what we call “Life.”
Go see “ART.” Maybe it will compel you to buy a more colorful canvas.