Stephen Sachs’ Bakersfield Mist, now playing at the Centaur Theatre asks questions we should never stop asking, no matter how many answers we come across.

What makes something precious? To a collector/investor, is a painting more meaningful than another type of commodity or investment?

What exactly makes an artwork valuable and/or beautiful ?

Is any person more worthy or beautiful than another? Who decides?

Sachs does not, nor can anyone else, provide concrete answers to these questions. But as you leave the theatre you are bound to re-examine your assumptions about both art and humanity.

Nicola Cavendish and Jonathan Monro, making his Centaur debut here, shine in their roles of the accidental art collector and snooty art appraiser who, as it turns out, actually loves art. Together they gracefully weave the strands of laughter and tears into their performance without faltering for a moment.

The set, designed by Pam Johnson, deserves special mention for the way it evokes through delicate detail, life in a California trailer park..

Bakersfield Mist plays at the Centaur Theatre until February 26.  Info: 514-288-3161

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