“Nothing to It (An evening of itty bitty witty ditties)”

The Art Guys offer up some of their greatest hits

Comments (0) By Dusti Rhodes Thursday, May 1 2008

“Nothing to It (An evening of itty bitty witty ditties)” features reruns of The Art Guys’ best episodes. The Guys, also known as Jack Massing and Michael Galbreth, started their artistic collaboration in 1983 at the University of Houston and have since shown their performance and visual art all over the world — with critics cheering along the way. They return to UH today for a greatest-hits showcase of their performance pieces. Some are as simple as Try to Cry — “where Michael and I try to actually cry,” says Massing — and others require a bit more from the prop department. Set the Table features actors clad in suits covered in dinnerware. “Then they dance about and then set themselves on the table, breaking up their costumes in a dramatic way,” says Massing.

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In Wrap Music, the pair uses rolls of industrial plastic wrap to produce sound and art. “We actually use them as instruments and play them while unraveling them and wrapping them,” he says. In past performances, the guys have wrapped pianos and even audience members, but this time Massing says they’ll use large, homemade posts. “Lit up onstage you see this long plastic wrap unravel, and it makes the sculpture as we make the music.” See what else the Guys will roll out today at 8 p.m. University of Houston’s Wortham Theatre, Entrance no. 16 off Cullen Boulevard. For tickets and information, call 713-743-2929 or visit www.mitchellcenterforarts.org. $10 to $12.50.
Sat., May 3, 8 p.m., 2008