What happens when a groundbreaking physicist, a revolutionary artist and the king of rock and roll walk into a bar?
Well, you get Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” of course.
Marshall’s School of Theatre and Dance opened its production of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” Wednesday, Nov. 11, with the skilled cast of upperclassmen not failing to disappoint in their rendition of the fictional meeting between a young Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso.
Although this was my first viewing of a T. Michael Murdock show, the director’s talent shined through his carefully chosen cast and the audience’s engagement, which was admirable due to the play’s complexity.
The play takes place in a 1904 Paris bar – the Lapin Agile – where Einstein and Picasso are said to have frequented in their day, although it is unknown if the two geniuses ever crossed paths. The storyline is filled with prophetic ideas on science, art and the future of the 20th Century, which elevates the play’s humor, yet it never remains too serious thanks to the slew of surprise guests who make an appearance at the bar that fated evening.
As for the play’s content, as an audience member who, admittedly, could use some brushing up on her knowledge of early 20th Century history, several lines did not resonate with me, and I felt a bit lost in some of the characters’ lengthy monologues.
To quote Gaston, as characters appeared seemingly without rhyme or reason, I often found myself thinking, “What the hell was that?”
However, just when I thought I was too far out in left field, a character would chime in with a clever one-liner, reminding me that the show is about the geniuses of the ages, and it wouldn’t be plausible to fully grasp all of their digressions.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the play’s breaking of the fourth wall, which is yet another nod to how the whole show plays with space and time; remember that comment about the king of rock and roll appearing at the bar?
The standout performances of the night belonged to Daniel Calwell (Gaston) and George Kinley (Einstein). Calwell aced his portrayal of the old, sarcastic Frenchman, and I was impressed by Kinley’s commitment to accurately portraying the German genius. The two theater pros kept me laughing, whether from a crude remark or a witty joke amplified by an accent, until curtain call.
Although these two took the cake for me, there wasn’t a single actor who failed to make me laugh, no matter how much stage time they got. One of my favorite parts of the play, for instance, was the cameo from the female admirer: brava, Marilyn Bell.
Furthermore, I appreciated how the characters in the background were always engaged with the action in the foreground, keeping the show alive and moving at all times. In the first act, as Einstein droned on about something scientific at a downstage table, I found myself drawn to Gaston’s burning match or Germaine and Freddy’s whisperings further upstage.
While I could go on about the students’ detailed performances, I must give kudos to the play’s technical aspects, as well. The set’s design transported the audience straight to Paris with beautiful paintings lining the walls as well as costumes portraying every type of “artsy” Parisian. The digitized paintings that went dark as the lights went down and the atmospheric lighting effects toward the end of the show were my favorite touches.
I continue to be impressed by the performances from Marshall Theatre this season, which is why I am giving this production of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” four out of five stars. With three more chances to see the show Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., grab your ticket (and your wittiest friends) and spend an evening full of laughter at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center.
Baylee Parsons can be contacted at [email protected].
