Review: ‘The Exhibit’ at LakehouseRanchDotPNG Compels with Its Commentary on Art

LakehouseRanchDotPNG presents “The Exhibit,” a new work about art and its worth at Main Street Playhouse in Miami Lakes through Sunday, April 4. (Photo by Zachary Oshaughnessy, courtesy of LakehouseRanchDotPNG)

LakehouseRanchDotPNG,  now completing its fourth season, continues to present some of the most engaging new work in the South Florida theater scene. At the intimate performance space at Main Street Playhouse in Miami Lakes, the company does it again with its final production of the season.

Artistic director Brandon Urrutia co-directs with Neka Knowles “The Exhibit,” a new play by Philadelphia-based playwright Mackenzie Raine Kirkman, one of the company’s resident writers. This marks the fourth of Kirkman’s plays staged by the company.

At its core, “The Exhibit” is a commentary on how art is perceived, valued, monetized, commercialized and many times used as a status symbol. This time, it’s told directly from the point of view of the art itself. “The Exhibit’s” presentation in South Florida feels especially resonant, where events like Miami Art Week and Art Basel Miami Beach define both local and global perceptions of the region’s art community.

The play opens with Curator (Richard Lewis) struggling to maneuver an oversized wooden crate through a narrow doorway into a museum workroom. Inside is his latest acquisition: New Art (Manuel Bonilla). Frustrated with the constant upkeep he’s required to do in his job for Old Art (Miguel Bonilla), the Curator eagerly opens the crate to reveal a statue reminiscent of Michelangelo’s David. He carefully tends to New Art, calling him “baby” and attending to his every need. There’s plenty of comic moments in this exchange.

The Bonilla brothers, Manuel and Miguel, as Old Art and New Art in LakehouseRanchDotPNG’s “The Exhibit.” (Photo by Zachary Oshaughnessy, courtesy of LakehouseRanchDotPNG)

The Boss (River Iraida Estrada) enters and quickly realizes the statue is identical to one the museum already owns. She reprimands Curator, insisting the original must remain. But he pushes back: “Out with the old and in with the new. Why fix what is broken when you can just buy more?”

What follows is a sharp debate about preservation and institutional power. Curator argues for replacing—or at least displaying both—while The Boss, beholden to donors and a governing board, insists Old Art stays and New Art must go.

New Art reveals it has been stored away, bought and sold as a private acquisition, and has never been displayed. After The Boss exits, New Art confronts Curator, questioning the promise of visibility and a newfound purpose.

When Old Art is brought in, the two statues are nearly identical—except for cracks and discoloration marking age. (The actors’ entire bodies are covered in white. To show the aging of Old Art, smart makeup choices reveal skintone in places to represent the marks.)

From there, the play builds into a seismic clash between the two, each arguing for their place, with Curator caught in the middle.

The casting is particularly effective. Identical twins Miguel and Manuel Bonilla as Old Art and New Art is an inspired choice that heightens the play’s eccentricity and also its tension. In her script, Kirkman wants there to be flexibility and choice in how company’s stage her play, only suggesting the artwork be something a museum could plausibly own in duplicate—a guideline this production uses to full advantage.

As Old Art, Miguel Bonilla delivers a standout performance, breaking the fourth wall and engaging directly with the audience. His monologue cuts to the heart of the play’s existential questions: art exists to be seen, yet has no agency of its own or when no one is looking. Manuel Bonilla brings a contrasting energy as New Art, infusing the role with youthful optimism that plays against Old Art’s weariness.

Manuel Bonilla, Richard Lewis and River Iraida Estrada in “The Exhibit” at LakehouseRanchDotPNG through Sunday, April 4. (Photo by Zachary Oshaughnessy, courtesy of LakehouseRanchDotPNG)

Lewis portrays Curator as a frustrated employee pushing against institutional norms and stagnation, balancing exasperation and displaying a knack for physical comedy. Estrada’s The Boss delivers a memorable, tightly wound performance, particularly in moments of a near-meltdown over museum protocol. However, the role feels underwritten and the actor nor the character are never fully given the space to develop.

River Iraida Estrada and Richard Lewis in “The Exhibit” at LakehouseRanchPNG through Sunday, April 4. (Photo by Zachary Oshaughnessy, courtesy of LakehouseRanchPNG)

Co-directors Knowles and Urrutia handle the play’s many moving parts with clarity and purpose. The pacing is brisk, as it should be, but never so runaway that it loses Kirkman’s sharp messages. The directors also make effective use of the theater, allowing the action to unfold throughout the space.

Brooke Oteri’s scenic design convincingly evokes a museum storage area, complete with metal racks, wrapped artwork, and scattered objects—including a multi-colored abstract dog that becomes significant at one point. Erin Proctor’s costumes further define character: The Boss in sharp, professional attire; Curator in a signature red beret; and the statues painted head-to-toe in white, adorned with horn-like features and loincloths.

Ultimately, “The Exhibit” places a sharp lens on how art’s value is shaped as much by perception and power as by creative expression.

With this production, LakehouseRanchDotPNG once again delivers new work that is intriguing and challenging. For audiences seeking theater beyond the conventional, this company is well worth adding to the must-see list.

WHAT: LakehouseRanchDotPNG’s “The Exhibit” by Mackenzie Raine Kirkman

WHERE:  Main Street Players, 6812 Main St., Miami Lakes 

WHEN: 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Through Sunday, April 4.

COST: $20 general admission

INFORMATION: (305) 558 -3737 or https://www.lakehouseranchdotpng.com/

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