CCHS actors staging Steve Martin’s waggish ‘Picasso at the Lapin Agile’
Travel to 1904 Paris to witness a chance meeting between two young geniuses — Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein.
Acton-Carlisle High School’s fall production of Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” aims to transport the audience to 1904 Paris to witness a chance meeting between two young geniuses — Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein.
The setting? A tiny bar in Montmartre where ambitious thinkers and artists gather to exchange ideas, engage in debates, and fire off quips:
Freddy: “You can’t just insult someone right out of the blue!”
Gaston: “But I’m French.”
The piece is renowned for its crackling wit and colorful characters. CC Theatre’s new director, Evan Kelly, says the play “is one of those sleeper shows in theater circles. Not everyone knows about it, but those that do almost universally like it.”
Martin’s script brims with gags, surprises, and explosive discussions about the nature of creativity.
The play keeps the plot loose in favor of focusing on characters and conversation. The most crucial part of rehearsals for the actors has been fleshing out the characters — asking how a particular person would speak, react, or even just sit down at the bar.
Assistant stage manager Meredith Mills says she has enjoyed “seeing the story develop as actors settle into their roles and create new personas for their characters.” Indeed, the show is built upon the clashing of different personalities, from Einstein’s meticulous intellectualism to barfly Gaston’s sardonic candor.
Kelly says, “I’ve really enjoyed watching [the actors] get the jokes … peeling back the layers of humor and [realizing], ‘Oh, that actually is funny.’”
Stage manager Geffen Benyo observes, “It’s fun to see people get better at this show, and it’s fun to see it click more and more.”
The play delves into the excitement that the intellectual world was experiencing around the turn of the 20th century. Reflecting this eagerness and curiosity, the show explores themes around art, science, and the importance of ideas. Kelly says it poses questions about “where art and science intersect, what it means to be a genius.”
Actor Luke Gettings (Schmendiman) says the show “tackles how the idea of ‘success’ is viewed from different perspectives,” and “how all kinds of people can unite over a shared passion for the beauty of innovation.”
“Picasso at the Lapin Agile” will be performed in the Acton-Carlisle High School auditorium Thursday, October 23; Friday, October 24; and Saturday, October 25, with curtain at 7 p.m. Closed captioning is available at all shows. Tickets can be purchased at cc-theatre.org for $15 (adults) or $12 (students/seniors), or at the door. The play contains some adult themes/language, suggestive humor, and alcohol consumption, and is rated PG-13.
