Paul And Émile

Upon entering the theater, it’s clear that the actual set will be a character in the play. Designed by Christopher Ostrom, it is the sole setting for this portrayal of the two childhood friends meeting again after years of not speaking. Émile Zola (Abe Goldfarb) pays an unexpected visit to Paul Cézanne (Todd Scofield) at his apartment/studio in Aix-en-Provence, France, at the turn of the 20th century. While the ultimate resolution of the play, a moment of strange revelation, fails to ring true, the journey toward that climax is filled with interesting philosophical debate about everything from the Dreyfuss affair in France in 1894 (familiarity with which is a prerequisite) to the nature of the artistic personality, aging, religion, and the importance of friendships, particularly those sustained from childhood on.

The two principals (dressed beautifully by costume designer Carol Sherry) circle and strike like tomcats, mostly in words but sometimes in deeds, fueled by generous pours from the decanter as they try to work out who they are to one another. Occasionally, Cezanne rings a handbell to summon Mamselle (Anna Marie Sell), a sometimes-cheeky young maidservant; she functions as an Everyperson for the rest of us mortals. Her role seems meek and yet, in the end she will occupy the same powerful downstage left spotlight in which Zola opened the narrative. For just as Cezanne reveals something important about himself to Zola, Mamselle enters the studio — for once, unbidden by the bell — to reveal something important about Zola to Cezanne. To say any more would truly spoil the plot.