For the unveiling of the new Lamar Dodd School of Art, the drama department is putting on a play that addresses the core of the new school – art.

“Art,” originally by the French playwright Yasmina Reza, is a three-man performance that discusses not only the meaning and nature of art, but the dynamics of friendships.

“Yes [the play] is a discussion of art; but on the surface, it is also a discussion of friendships and how they change,” said George Contini, an associate professor for the theatre and film studies department.

The play involves a blank canvas, considered an expensive piece of modern art, that serves as a projection screen for the three friends to project opinions of each other and art, said John Kundert-Gibbs, the director of the play and an associate professor for the theatre and film studies department.

“['Art'] has conflict, or it would not be interesting, but it is also a comedy,” Kundert-Gibbs said. “They are working through the problems all friendships develop over time, and the painting is the crux of all these problems.”

Due to little production time, the play, which has been translated in more than 30 languages, is more of a staged reading in which the actors will have scripts in their hands, Contini said.

Although the theater and film studies department is not directly associated with the art department, many facets of art such as music, theater and dance, are being brought together to inaugurate the new school.

“It is really important that different departments of art on campus work together,” Contini said. “Hopefully new opportunities will open up to work together.”

“Art” plans to leave part of its production behind for the art school to use.

“[The play] involves two cubes, which are kind of a work of art also, that will be used in the new art department,” Kundert-Gibbs said.