The Hobnob Theatre Company is crafting its latest presentation, “Art,” which opens March 31 in the middle of the gallery at the Butler Art Center.

The Yasmina Reza play is under the direction of Casey Bowser.

The show was the second Bowser performed at the Butler Little Theatre back in 2002.

“'Art' puts a microscope to friendship and examines how a single choice can make an impact,” Bowser said.

The show involves a trio of friends whose relationship takes a turn.

“The play is so relevant today. With folks sharing so much on the Internet, people who have been friends for years are seeing different sides of each other, and I'm sure some relationships have changed due to this transparency,” he said.

This will be Bowser's third time directing and his third involvement in a show at the Art Center venue, a site perfect for the subject of the play.

Directing is made easier when you have a handful of good actors, according to Bowser.

“My directing approach is to simply direct the play the way I want to see it. I'm lucky enough to have three very talented actors for this production. They have good instincts, good timing and a drive to do the material the right way,” said Bowser in praise of his cast.

Tom Smithyman of Franklin Park, a marketing director by day for Ansys, a software company in Canonsburg, is one of the three amigos rehearsing for “Art” by night.

“I portray Marc, who has trouble understanding why his friend Serge would spend a considerable amount of money on a white painting,” said Smithyman.

“Marc is a very sarcastic character with a short temper. For better or worse, that describes me pretty well,” he added.

Smithyman saw Judd Hirsch perform in this show in Boston back in 2000, he said, and knew he wanted to do it.

“I have been pushing directors to do it ever since. It's a great show, but because it's not a comedy and only has three male roles, it's not too popular with community theaters,” he said.

The themes are universal though. “If you have a friend, you'll understand what the playwright is trying to say. How much honesty is too much in a friendship?”

The role of Serge is being played by Greg Crawford of Chicora.

“Serge is a professional man who likes things to be precise. Just now, his steadily growing obsession with art is his primary focus in life,” said Crawford of his character.

Crawford shared that his enthusiasm for his hobbies is similar to that of Serge and his new found passion for art.

“And he likes to share them with and enjoy them through the lens of his friends. So, we have some things in common,” he said.

Crawford has been in several Hobnob productions, and he is very open about his friendship and admiration of Bowser as director.

“A three-person show is a nice challenge,” said Crawford.

One of the biggest for him is the balance of emotion, he said, “learning how to display anger without it overshadowing or obscuring the deep feelings of friendship and affection between the characters.”

“Basically, I buy a ridiculously expensive white on white painting,” he said. “My friends' reactions to it and my reactions to theirs create an explosion among us over the meaning of our friendships,” he said about the show's premise.

The play also features Jud Michael Stewart of Butler, who plays Yvan in the role of the peacemaker of the trio. Yvan seems to have a fair amount of drama in his life that takes place outside the scope of this play. The audience can see that he relies on advice from Marc and Serge. When those two start to implode, Yvan does his best to help them come back together. All three characters have much to lose, but Yvan might have the most at stake.

The show has extremely mature and colorful language sprinkled throughout and may not be suitable for everyone.

WHO: Hobnob Theatre CompanyWHAT: “Art”WHEN: 8 p.m. March 31, April 1, 2, 7 and 8WHERE: Butler Art Center, 344 S. Main St.TICKETS: $10, visit www.hobnobtheatre.com/tickets or call 412-736-2535.