What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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JUNE 12-18, 2022 WHAT'S UP! 5 FAQ 'Art' WHEN — 8 p.m. June 17-18 and June 23-25; 2 p.m. June 26 WHERE — Arkansas Public Theatre at the Victory in Rogers COST — $20-$40 INFO — 631-8988, arkansaspublic- theatre.org See Art at RLT Page 6 Art For Art's Sake At APT, big painting causes bigger uproar The question in the APT production of "Art" is whether a friendship survives a disagreement over what makes art art. (Courtesy Photo/Chad Wigington for APT) FYI Family Matters Brenda Mashburn Nemec, who is directing "Art" at Arkansas Public Theatre, is thrilled to have been able to cast someone special in the lead — her brother, Jay Mashburn. "This is the first time I have ever worked directly with Jay," she says. "I am 7 years older, and we didn't always live in the same household as children, so there were never 'productions' at home. I first saw him work at a one-act play compe- tition while he was still in high school, and he was amazing. "We have not lived near each other as adults, and I never thought we could do a show together until covid. Since he has been working from home, I have been pestering him to come and do a show with APT. I sent him several shows to look at, and this one just happened to work out for him with both timing and with character." "I discovered acting in high school, [and] it was love at first sight," says Mashburn. "I enjoyed acting in college and have been actively involved in theater ever since. "Although I live in Dallas, I have been fortunate to see a few APT shows and meet several actors, directors and staff over the years," he adds. "I find APT to be a wonderful place to experience live theater and wanted to be a part of it in some way." "He is very dedicated to this production and has had great ideas about character develop- ment and timing," Nemec adds. "He has been a great sounding board for me after rehearsals. I really hope he continues to do shows with us as his schedule allows. I hope to someday be able to be on stage with him!" BECCA MARTIN-BROWN NWA Democrat-Gazette A rt, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. It's not so complicated if one among a group of friends loves Picasso, another prefers Asher Durand, and another chooses Frederic Remington. It's easy to see the appeal of the work, even if it's not your cup of artistic tea. But what happens when one of three friends buys a large — and expensive — painting that the others think is not only not beautiful but not even art? That's the premise for Yasmina Reza's comedy "Art," which made its first splash in the mid-1990s, winning the 1996 Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the 1998 Tony Award for Best Play. It opens June 17 at Arkansas Public Theatre in Rogers. Translated by Christopher Hampton, the play revolves around Serge (Jay Mashburn), who flexes his collector's muscles to buy a five-by-four-foot painting that is all white with white diagonal lines. To his friend Marc (Eric Bolin), who has dabbled more in the art world, the painting is a joke. But Serge insists Marc doesn't have the proper expertise to judge the work. Enter their third friend Ivan (Brandon Devine), who just wants to make peace. And hilarity — and drama — ensue. "'Art' belongs to a tradition that once flourished on Broadway but is seldom represented there these days: the sleek, pleasant comedy of manners with an intellectual veneer that allows audiences to relax at the theater without feeling they're wasting time," wrote critic Ben Brantley in the New York Times in March 1998. "Indeed, the mirth to be mined from mounting friction among old friends is as ancient as commedia dell'arte and an abiding ROGERS