^{Todd Scofield as Paul Cézanne on the set (designed by Christopher Ostrom) of Paul and Émile
Photo: Michael Karchmer & Michael Kerouac}

Review by Rebecca M. Alvin

Paul Cézanne is credited as “the father of us all” for modern artists. Although associated with the impressionist movement in art, he had a distinct approach that is the direct antecedent to the works of artists like Pablo Picasso (who is credited with the above quote) and Henri Matisse. And yet, like many artists, he was scandalously underappreciated in his time. Writer Émile Zola, on the other hand, while suffering various setbacks, most notably due to his speaking out about the antisemitic conspiracy against Captain Alfred Dreyfuss in France, received wide acclaim. In Kai Maristed’s play Paul and Émile, which has its world premiere at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater (WHAT) currently, the friendship and estrangement between the two artists are explored with provocative results.

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.

Zola and Cézanne are periodically joined on stage by Cézanne’s maid, known only as “Mamselle” (Anna Marie Sell) who acts as an interjection to these intellectual conversations, bringing her more practical, somewhat simple point of view to the conversations. Goldfard, Scofield, and Sell turned in fine performances under the direction of Sasha Brätt at the preview performance I attended. The play is one-act with no intermission and the two main characters, being intellectuals, are in near-constant dialogue. Again, the set provides a wonderful counterpart to all of this, with projections of Cézanne’s artwork, as well as the landscape outside his window, drawing our periodic attention and reminding us of the beauty of Cézanne’s work. It’s an absolute pleasure to look at and invites much thought afterward about the many aspects of friendship, betrayal, and artistic integrity.

Paul and Émile is performed Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 3:00 p.m., now through October 12 at WHAT, 2357 State Highway Rte. 6, 7 p.m. For tickets ($18-$68.75) and information, call 508.349.9428 or visit what.org