When choosing a play to direct, senior Indigo Gordon sought a play that balanced comedy and philosophy, and was appealing for all audiences. “Art,” written by French playwright Yasmina Reza, was the perfect choice.

Studio 200 is a student-run program in which four rising seniors are chosen to direct one play each quarter. They, with guidance from a faculty sponsor, choose the play and the cast. The plays are often limited to a small cast of three to eight people.

This quarter’s show was “Art,” which was performed Feb. 16-18. The play is about three long-time friends, one of whom buys a very expensive, completely blank white painting. The friends disagree about the painting, the choice to buy it, what can be considered “art,” and more. The play revolves around their interactions and how their reactions to the painting are revealing other conflicts in their lives. “The show is a depiction of the stark and arduous relationship between the old and the new, manifesting in the form of classical and modern art,” said senior Brigid Barrette, who plays Serge.

Other actors in this play were senior Leo Gonzalez and junior Saul Bazer, who played Marc and Yvan, respectively. Gordon describes the cast as perfect, explaining that they are all “synced with one another.” Gordon explained they had a flexible view of what the play would look like, and the cast helped to shape this. The cast “understands the nuances of the show and (their) characters,” Gordon said.

As a sponsor of Studio 200 and an advisor for this play, history teacher Ixtla Arceo-Witzl said Studio 200 is an opportunity to “see students create a work of art” and enjoy the process from start to finish. She further explained that the cast is very close knit. All of them get along very well, enjoying and embracing what each brings to the table.

About her castmates, Barrette said, “They’re two of the most thoughtful, mature, charismatic, funny, and compassionate people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”

Gordon said that a core message of the show is that “you can’t let money or class define you, and friendships are more important than that. That classist stance can be damaging to many aspects of one’s life, and that’s something people don’t often look out for,” they said.

“Our show has the capacity to teach people to understand one another and communicate the honest intensity of their feelings,” said Barrette.

The 4th quarter show will be “Boy Meets Girl,” written by Samuel and Bella Spewack. It will be directed by Terria O’Neal. The dates of the show are April 27, 28, and 29, so stay tuned for more details.