Picasso at the Lapin Agile
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Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a play written by Steve Martin in 1993. It features the characters of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a bar called the Lapin Agile (Nimble Rabbit) in Montmartre, Paris. It is set on October 8, 1904, and both men are on the verge of an amazing idea (Einstein will publish his special theory of relativity in 1905 and Picasso will paint Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907) when they find themselves at the Lapin Agile, where they have a lengthy debate about the value of genius and talent while interacting with a host of other characters.
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[edit] Productions
This was the first full-length play written by Steve Martin. The first reading of the play took place in Beverly Hills, California at Steve Martin's home, with Tom Hanks reading the role of Pablo Picasso and Chris Sarandon reading the role of Albert Einstein. Martin then held a nine-day professional workshop of the play in Melbourne, Australia, at the Malthouse Theatre (in conjunction with Belvoir St Theatre), which ended with two public staged readings of the play. Following this, the play opened at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois, on October 13, 1993[1]. The show then enjoyed a successful run at the Westwood Playhouse (now known as the Geffen Playhouse) in Los Angeles, California. Finally, the show made its way to New York City. The play has also had successful runs in other American cities.
Martin made several attempts to create a film version of the play, but none came to fruition. On November 27, 2006 Martin stated on his website that "there is no movie of Picasso at the Lapin Agile in the works." [2]
[edit] Controversy
The play was pulled from La Grande High School in La Grande, Oregon in March 2009 following a parent-led petition of 137 names opposed to the staging of the play. The petitioners objected to some of the adult themes and content, in response to which Martin wrote that the students knew that the "questionable behaviour sometimes evident in the play is not endorsed." In his letter to the La Grande Observer, he compared the characterization that the play is about "people drinking in bars and treating women as sex objects" to characterising Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' as being "about a castle". Martin has responded to the banning of the play at La Grande High School with an offer to underwrite a production of the play at an alternate location, stating he does not want the play to "[acquire] a reputation it does not deserve."[3]
[edit] Analysis
Each character in Lapin Agile performs a specific function. For example, Schmendiman, an inventor, believes he is a genius but really knows very little, while Gaston, an amicable old Frenchman with prostate problems, is hesitant to listen to or believe anything that does not revolve around sex or drinking.
There's much discussion of the shaping of the twentieth century. Picasso obviously represents art, Einstein represents science, and Schmendiman represents commercialism.
Picasso and Einstein eventually realize that their abilities are equally valuable.
Once the main characters have had their moment of insight, "The Visitor," a man from the future, crashes the party. Although the Visitor is never named, his identity can be surmised as Elvis Presley, among other things. The Visitor adds a third dimension to Picasso and Einstein's debate, representing the idea that genius is not always the product of academic or philosophical understanding, or as Gaston refers to it, "Brains".
Martin has written: "Focusing on Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity and Picasso’s master painting, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, the play attempts to explain, in a light-hearted way, the similarity of the creative process involved in great leaps of imagination in art and science."[4]
[edit] Cast, in order of appearance
Freddy, the owner and bartender of the Lapin Agile
Gaston, an older man
Germaine, waitress and Freddy's wife
Albert Einstein, age twenty-five
Suzanne, nineteen
Sagot, Picasso's art dealer
Pablo Picasso, age twenty-three
Charles Dabernow Schmendiman, a young man
The Countess
A female admirer
A Visitor
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ History: "Picasso At The Lapin Agile" (Oct. 13, 1993 - May. 12, 1994) | Steppenwolf Theatre Company
- ^ Steves Message to You
- ^ Steve Martin backing banned play, BBC News, 15 March 2009
- ^ Martin, Steve (March 13, 2009), "Of arts and sciences", The Observer, http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/Opinion/Guest-Columns/Of-arts-and-sciences
