In Repertory Philippines&rsquo; bold new staging of ART, director Victor Lirio peels back the polished layers of wit to reveal something raw, personal and unexpectedly tender.

When a man buys a very expensive, completely white painting, his two best friends aren&rsquo;t sure if it&rsquo;s brilliant&hellip; or just absurd. What begins as polite debate quickly unravels into an increasingly heated (and hilarious) examination of ego, insecurity and the delicate threads that hold friendships together.
This June, Yasmina Reza&rsquo;s ART &mdash; a 90-minute comedy that has captivated audiences since its 1994 debut &mdash; finds new life in Manila. Directed by Victor Lirio and staged by Repertory Philippines at the newly-opened REP Eastwood Theater, the show brings a sharp, international perspective to a play long praised for its timely (and timeless) take on male friendship and modern taste.
But Lirio&rsquo;s version, he says, isn&rsquo;t the ART you think you know. &ldquo;This version will not be about three grumpy old men,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;It will be about love, brotherhood, male rivalry, compromises and mending. The friendship and brotherhood will be in focus here.&rdquo;
Victor Lirio knows a thing or two about reshaping familiar material. After receiving acclaim for his direction of Harold Pinter&rsquo;s Betrayal at REP, he returns to the company with even greater ambition. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and with a master&rsquo;s in directing from the Bristol Old Vic, Lirio has spent the better part of two decades staging premieres and revivals across New York, London and Manila. But ART feels particularly close to the chest.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve lived and worked in New York, London and Manila,&rdquo; he says. But having grown up in a devout Filipino Catholic household, Lirio&rsquo;s upbringing and grounding in family and connection come through in how he approaches stories. &ldquo;Whether in French or English (or Tagalog), the play deals primarily with human relationships,&rdquo; he shares.

With ART, emotional conflicts cut deep. &ldquo;The beautiful character-driven language of Yasmina Reza provides an insight into the nuanced humans in the play, their character,&rdquo; Lirio notes. &ldquo;And that is very exciting to explore and justify. While my cross-cultural experiences provide a global perspective, I would say that my curiosity and imagination primarily influence my work as a theatre director.&rdquo;
The story follows three friends &mdash; Serge, Marc and Yvan &mdash; as they spiral into a philosophical crisis triggered by a minimalist painting. The set-up is simple enough: Serge (played by London-based Filipino-British actor Martin Sarreal) has just purchased a white canvas for an obscene amount of money. Marc (British actor Freddy Sawyer) is appalled. Caught in the middle is Yvan (award-winning Manila-based actor Brian Sy), a man whose own emotional turbulence threatens to derail the already fragile dynamic.
All three actors bring something distinct to the table. Sarreal, who audiences may recognize from Bridgerton, lends Serge a confident, almost unknowable cool. Sawyer, whose UK and US credits span screen and stage, plays Marc with equal parts precision and pride. And Sy &mdash; familiar to local audiences for both his comedic timing and dramatic depth &mdash; finds the wounded heart at the center of Yvan.
What helps bring those undercurrents to the surface is a formidable creative team, many of whom are veterans of the New York and London theater scenes. Scenic and costume design come courtesy of Miguel Urbino, with lighting by Miriam Crowe, sound by Fabian Obispo, fight choreography from Maisie Carter and voice coaching by Zoe Littleton. It's a global blend of talents &mdash; mirroring the cast itself &mdash; that gives this staging of ART a distinct edge.
&ldquo;Beneath the gorgeous, erudite language are complex humans in extraordinary relationships and circumstances,&rdquo; Lirio says. Which, in a play that begins with a white canvas, might just be the most colorful part of it all.
ART performances run from June 13 to 21, Fridays to Sundays at 8:00 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 3:30 p.m. Tickets and more information are available through Repertory Philippines&rsquo; official channels.

Courtesy of Repertory Philippines.

How Victor Lirio Is Redefining ‘Art’ For a New Era

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How Victor Lirio Is Redefining ‘Art’ For a New Era

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