On the evening of April 2, the French contemporary comedy "Art" made its 2026 premiere at the Jasmine Theater. As a repertoire of the Shanghai Dramatic Art Center, "Art" uses a white oil painting as a guide to reveal the layers of cracks in a friendship that has lasted for more than ten years due to conflicting concepts. On April 3, Mark, played by Chen He, made his debut on stage. This was his return to the drama stage after many years.
On the opening night on April 2, the first cast of "Art" composed of Xu Shengnan (playing Mark), Xie Shuai (playing Serge), and Han Xiuyi (playing Ivan) returned as last year's lineup. Xu Shengnan accurately captured Mark's fragile heart under his sharp appearance, Xie Shuai captured Serge's confidence and sensitivity just right, and Han Xiuyi used tense body language and speech speed to present Ivan's anxiety and embarrassment in the cracks of friendship.
On the evening of April 3, Chen He (played as Mark), Xie Shuai (played as Serge), and Zhang Ruihan (played as Ivan) took over the baton. Chen He, who made his first appearance in the play, portrayed Mark's strength and uneasiness in a real and tangible way. Xie Shuai once again showed Serge's complex emotional levels in the collision of different opponents. Zhang Ruihan, who also made his first appearance in the play, interpreted Ivan's dilemma through precise rhythm control.
French playwright Yasmina Reza has twice won the Tony Award and the Laurence Olivier Award. Her famous work "Art" premiered at the Comedy des Champs-Elysées in Paris in 1994. In 1996, Sean Connery, the first 007 actor, introduced it and made it into an English version that was performed at the Wyndham Theater in London. It has since been translated into more than 40 languages.
In 2001, Shanghai Dramatic Art Center put "Art" on the domestic stage for the first time, directed by Gu Yian and starring Xu Zheng, Lin Dongfu and Hao Ping. This version of it performed at the Jasmine Theater was directed by British director Paul Garlington and created by revival director Li Li.
"Art" revolves around a white oil painting worth 2 million yuan. Dermatologist Serge praised it highly, while aviation designer Mark scorned it, thinking it was just a "blank slate". Ivan, who was caught in the middle, tried to reconcile, but got himself into deeper trouble. A debate about the value of art eventually evolved into a torture of more than ten years of friendship and personal values.
