There are times when a straight play is already rich with wisdom, shafts of humor, and profundity, and one can discern that even on the written page. And of course, the special alchemy and magic come into the picture, as it’s performed on stage, which goes without saying, is its ‘raison d’être’. Text is text, but plays are meant to be performed and watched.

So what frustrates me is when the ‘need’ to create ‘my version’, the desire to stretch the material, or stamp the text with ‘my interpretation’, does too much, and ends up muddying the performance. I get where the director and production may be coming from. Still, on the night I watched Repertory’s production of Yasmina Reza’s Art, when all the bustling about and constant motion meant some of the punchier lines weren’t getting a reaction from the audience, I was left pondering if stillness and more trust that the lines would hit home, would have helped elicit the right audience response, at the moments they were required.

Reza’s brilliant 1994 play was initially written in French, and it was the legendary Sir Christopher Hampton who did the English translation. While a questionable painting, a purchased work of art, lies at the center of the play, the drama serves as a searing commentary on friendship, how we define it, and how it holds different meanings for different people. Furthermore, how complex these relationships can be as we create illusions and use politeness and civility to preserve friendships. In a sense, in the course of what should have been 90 minutes, friendship is unmasked, exposed, and put to a serious test.

It is a three-man play, and in this production, British-Filipino actor Martin Sarreal plays Serge, British actor Freddy Sawyer takes on the role of Marc, and we have home-grown Brian Sy as Yvan. The play opens with an expanded ronde, as the three circle each other in a choreographed sequence. This is intended to signify the closeness of their friendship and their playful nature with each other. For me, this was stretching from the outset, when that closeness and intimacy could just as well be established with the lines that kick off the actual play. More trust in what the lines already provide?

If I have to highlight the performance of a single member of the cast, I’d point to Martin Sarreal, as his delivery would quite often take flight; I wish he would limit the extended arm and hand gestures. I found them at times unnatural, as if he were posing while delivering lines. But his cadence and shift of tone helped make his lines more memorable for me.

There’s one more weekend of Art to enjoy, and I find all plays of interest, as one tries to study and extrapolate intent and then decide to what degree they have achieved what they set out to do. If for nothing else, I love that such rich material as Reza’s Art has found its way to the Philippine stage. I’d like to see it performed by an all-Filipino cast, or even with a switch, performed entirely by women. That’s stamping your version of the play. This one is a sincere, but perhaps misguided, reminder of how great a play Art is.