Friendships that last for years always seem to hit some bumps and potholes along the way.

One such strained friendship is taking center stage at the BoarsHead Theater, 425 S. Grand Ave. in Lansing, with the play, "Art," written by Yasmina Reza.

The French play, translated by Christopher Hampton, has won several awards and has been a hit on Broadway and abroad.

The story is about best friends Serge, Marc and Yvan. Serge has just bought a piece of modern art, a white painting with white stripes on it, for 200,000 francs.

Marc thinks his long-time friend is a fool and has no qualms with telling him so to his face. Yvan gets sucked into the fray but does his best not to take either side, revealing he would rather keep people happy than upset them with his own opinion.

A comical examination of friendship, the play uses the theme of art to show how relationships are works of beauty and what makes a friendship last isn't having the same likes and dislikes.

The play's strongest points lie in its dialogue and actors.

Matthew Penn plays Yvan and spouted off lines so fast you couldn't keep up with him. In one scene, Yvan is in a hysteria about his mother's and fiancee's feelings about wedding invitations.

All the while Yvan is scrambling to tell his recent troubling encounter, Marc and Serge listen, rolling their eyes and feigning interest and sympathy. After Yvan ends the rant, there is silence until Serge says with perfect comic timing, "And then what happened."

Another great scene is when Yvan and Marc argue over the painting. "I'm obliged to go straight for the essentials," Serge says with an air of arrogance.

Marc replies: "As in painting