Anticipating Art With Milwaukee Chamber

Boulevard Theatre has opened the 2013-2014 regular Milwaukee theatre season with a production of Tigers Be Still. The next show to open this season comes from Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. 

It's  Art   by Yasmina Reza. The story of three guys and an ostensibly blank canvas has a kind of a simple appeal to it, particularly as the three guys that Chamber's assembled for this one are really, really fun onstage. 

Producing Artistic Director C. Michael Wright stars as Serge--a man who has paid a great deal of money for a very, very minimalist painting. The painting becomes a point of contention for his friends. Wright is such an affable guy onstage and off that he will undoubtedly make for a really great focal point for the show. There's little question that Wright's a good director, but it's going to be nice to see him onstage here. 

Brian Mani plays Marc--a friend of Serge's who is particularly critical of him paying 200,000 francs for the painting. (Did I mention it's set in Paris? Guess not . . . ) He is particularly passionate about his dislike for the painting, referring to it as "a piece of white.." . . . um . .  . excrement. (I've had it out with the language filter on this website before, I'm not about to cross it again now.) Mani's got a powerful stage presence which should work an interesting dynamic on what will likely be Wright in dimminutive nice guy mode.

Tom Klubertanz plays Yvan--a dissatisfied stationary salesman who needs the friendship with Marc and Serge as a point of emotional stability. He'll try to sort things out between Marc and Serge. Klubertanz is a real talent onstage as well . . . having appeared most notably in 1,000 Clowns with Milwaukee Chamber not too long ago. 

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of Art runs August 8th through 25th at the Broadway Theatre Center's Cabot Theatre. For ticket reservations, call 414-291-7800.