Yasmina Reza´s hit French comedy Art (Arte) will open Sept. 12 at Mexico City´s Teatro Helenico for an open-ended run.

The stars of the Mexican Art are Hector Bonilla (Barnum, M. Butterfly, Equus), Rafael Sanchez Navarro (The Elephant Man, Amadeus), and Claudio Obregon (Long Day´s Journey Into Night, Salome).

Translated into Spanish by Otto Minera and directed by Mario Espinoza, Arte explores the relationship among three friends when one of them buys, for 200,000 francs, an all-white painting, which provokes a clash of opinions, choices, language and meanings.

Winner of the 1997 Olivier and London Evening Standard Awards for Best Comedy, Art opened Oct. 15, 1996 at the Wyndham´s Theatre in London starring Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott, directed by Matthew Warchus.

Christopher Hampton´s English translation of the international hit is scheduled to reach Broadway in the spring of 1998. Designing the Mexican production of Art are Gabriel Pascal (set and lights) and Dennise Offray (costumes). Lazaro Becker, who produced M. Butterfly (Senor Butterfly) and Lend Me a Tenor (Donde esta el Tenor) is producing Art in Mexico.

Arte will be playing Thurs. at 8:30 PM, Fri. at 7:30 & 9:30 PM, Sat. at 7 & 9 PM and Sun. at 6 PM. For information and tickets call (5) 662 8674.