Picasso At The Lapin Agile Shines At Sycamore Rouge

For those who experienced Steve Martin’s meteoric rise in the world of comedy, for every person who put twisted balloons on their heads and got happy feet, there were many others who just scratched their heads in wonder and then got on their feet and moved on. Martin changed the face of comedy, being one of the first to remove the punchline from the joke and in doing so he forever altered the structure of stand-up.

As such, Martin is an innovator whose work should be respected like other stand-up giants like Richard Pryor, George Carlin, and Mark Twain. Yes, Mark Twain. Remember after he went bankrupt, he toured the world doing a lecture series and telling funny stories, thus making him one of the very first stand-up comedians.

After Martin left the world of stand-up, he turned his attention to writing and starring in various movies. If you only think of him as the white suited wild and crazy guy, please go back and revisit masterpieces like Roxanne and feel his depth and love for life.

Prior to becoming a performing phenom, Martin was a philosophy major and as such knows his way around an argument. Good thing, for his play PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE is thick with ideas and starts with a simple premise; what if Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein met in a bar one night? What kind of conversation would these two men have? What if they were young, young like the twentieth century was in 1904 and knew that the fire that burned in their hearts would soon light the world.

This collision of science and art on a Parisian night is the idea that makes this play swirl with joy.

Now don’t get the idea that this is some sort of didactic debate, after all Martin has crafted one of the funniest plays in years and the audience on opening night was soon howling with delight.

The two leads, Adam Mincks as Einstein and Ryan Bechard as Picasso face an interesting challenge, capture the essence of real life people without necessarily becoming slavish imitations. Mincks goes after Einstein’s wild haired manic enthusiasm while Bechard portrays Picasso’s legendary sexual appetite. Their verbal duels are great fun and thought provoking at the same time.

Philip Malone has created a fine bar as his set, but one thing I would honestly liked to have seen was moving the bar onto the floor – not separating it from the audience, but making us all feel like we were part of the play. After all, Sycamore Rouge’s intimate setting and comfortable chairs, couches, and cocktail tables would be perfect to create this event. The costumes by Kate Prothemos were very nice, especially Irene Kuykendall’s sexy costume as she waited for Picasso. Brittany Dilberto’s lighting design got a chance to shine near the end of the play as it takes a bold leap from reality as we know it, to a world of expectations and possibilities.

Director Jeffrey Cole has shown that he has a deft touch for the comedy and isn’t afraid to shy away from the dramatic moments and even embrace the unexpected.
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE is a lot of fun and you might even find yourself locked in a debate on the natures of art and science on the way home. If you do, count yourself lucky.

For WCVE Public Radio, I’m John Porter.