Serge (Kevin McNamara) has purchased an expensive 5x4 foot white painting with diagonal white lines. His friend Marc (Phil Sheehan) cannot believe that his friend would make such a purchase and openly tells Serge his opinion.

After talking to Marc, Ivan (Randy McConnach) visits Serge so that he can see the painting. As Ivan inquires about Serge’s latest activities, Serge becomes increasingly excited until he cannot contain himself anymore, the grin on his face and his body swaying back and forth is like that of a child waiting to show a parent a great accomplishment. While this swaying action might not be realistic in an everyday situation, perhaps showing off an expensive painting would make anyone sway. It is apparent how Serge truly feels about the painting.

When the friends meet to eat dinner, the conversation quickly turns to the topic of the painting. Ivan attempts to placate his two friends; however, his inability to take sides annoys them even more. Their friendship continues to dissolve as the heated discussion about the painting becomes more vehement and they reveal their own and each others’ personality flaws. Their bantering does not cease, but instead grows more and more scathing until their friendship reaches a breaking point. The actors make the 90 minute show move quickly with a sense of urgency in their voices that does not disappear until the climax.

The stark setting of a living room with a love seat, two couches, a bar, and a back wall is used for all three characters’ homes. A painting hanging on the wall is the only aspect which differentiates each. The almost identical settings enhance the power of the actors’ performances by drawing focus to the witty dialogue. Serge and Marc’s subtle yet vitriolic comments toward each other heightens the tension in their friendship.

Ivan adds pure comic relief in a tense situation, whereas any humor that Serge or Marc might deliver is grounded in their bitterness. He carries out a wonderfully humorous monologue about his family and his marriage planning woes while Serge and Marc look on incredulously, uninterestedly, angrily, and sympathetically all at once. Ivan’s emotional instability works well because it does not overshadow the deeper conflict between the friends. In the beginning, his emotional expressiveness stands out, especially in contrast to Marc and Serge’s more reserved behavior. However, Marc and Serge’s bickering grows stronger until eventually they become as expressive as Ivan.

Sheehan convincingly plays the traditional and logical engineer who will not subscribe to modern trends, especially in art. His attitude of authority threatens Serge and even causes him to not show the painting on the wall during Marc’s visit. Serge can only focus on Marc’s original condescending attitude on the painting, despite Marc’s efforts to feign appreciation.

Marc’s hard exterior is cast away in one of the many vignettes where only one character is shown in a spot light revealing his thoughts. He reveals his soft side of not wanting to create a conflict. This revelation of a different side is an example of one of the many vignettes where the actors must act the “true” characters in comparison to the facades the characters represent in the presence of one another.