In ‘Art,’ a silly painting sparks a reckoning between friends

By Alex Miller, OnStage Colorado

Feb 11, 2024

The Aurora Fox production showcases some top-tier local talent

L-R Matthew Schneck, Andrew Uhlenhopp, Gareth Saxe* in “ART” by Yasmina Reza, at the Aurora Fox Studio | photo by Gail Marie

Damn, those guys were good.

That’s what I was thinking on the way out of the Aurora Fox on a frosty Saturday night after seeing the comedy Art. Beautifully directed by Kate Gleason, the production features three Colorado actors I’ve admired in many roles: Garreth Saxe, Matthew Schneck and Andrew Uhlenhopp. Seeing this trio together onstage is a real treat.

The 1994 play by Yasmina Reza was originally done in French, and the English-language adaptation by Christopher Hampton went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play in 1998. Thirty years on, this production is being staged in the Fox’s smaller black-box theatre — an ideal venue for following the rapid-fire dialogue and to see the actors’ faces as they portray three old friends divided over a piece of art.