The revival of Yasmina Reza’s play “Art,” featuring stars such as James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris, and Bobby Cannavale, sheds light on the evolution of public discourse and debate. Directed by Scott Ellis, the production revisits the themes of Reza’s 1994 play, revealing how a simple disagreement among friends can escalate into brutal personal attacks. The play humorously critiques the vapidity of bourgeois taste and friendship, positioning itself as a reflection of contemporary bad-faith arguments prominent in public dialogues today.
The plot centers around Serge (played by Harris), who purchases a minimalist painting for a hefty sum. His friend Marc (Cannavale) dismisses it as “shit,” and their mutual friend Yvan (Corden) is dragged into the dispute. The painting serves merely as a pretense for deeper quarrels and underscores the characters’ reliance on opinion as a form of social currency. The minimalist set designed by David Rockwell accentuates the play’s theme by providing a neutral background, echoing Hell’s proverbial discovery of one’s friends’ true opinions.
Reza’s script, swiftly written in only six weeks, examines the idea of mimetic desire—a notion articulated by René Girard, which suggests that desires are influenced more by others than by intrinsic inclinations. The characters’ interactions highlight the often superficial nature of taste and identity. Despite the humor, the play reveals the insidiousness of petty insults and their potential to damage.
This contemplation of debate extends into the contrasting work of Henrik Ibsen’s “The Wild Duck,” directed by Simon Godwin. This adaptation, by David Eldridge, explores the consequences of truth-telling through the character Gregers Werle, whose relentless pursuit of honesty has devastating effects on his friend Hjalmar Ekdal’s family. The story captures the fragility of human relationships and the sometimes destructive nature of revealing long-hidden truths. Ibsen’s portrayal of argument’s potential harm is enhanced by the compelling performance of Maaike Laanstra-Corn as Hedvig, who illustrates how adult disputes impact young minds.
Both “Art” and “The Wild Duck” serve as powerful commentaries on the state of discourse and the complexities of truth in human relationships. They remind audiences that while debate and argument might aim for intellectual insight or social justice, they can also unravel the emotional and social fabric that binds together individuals and communities. By scrutinizing the nuances of argument, both plays underscore the necessity of empathy and understanding in public and private dialogues.