What would happen if Einstein and Picasso had met before they achieved world-wide fame? Answering the question in her final production at Denison, Associate Professor of Theatre Cheryl McFarren invites the audience inside a 1904 Parisian cafe, offering an immersive farewell you won’t want to miss.
After 17 years of teaching, directing, and lending her abundant laugh to Denison theatre students and faculty, McFarren is directing this production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile to follow the old theatre adage: “always leave them wanting more.”
Written by comedian Steve Martin, Picasso at the Lapin Agile imagines a 1904 meeting between Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso. Set in a Parisian cabaret, the comedy catches both iconic figures just before they “hit it big,” with physical comedy and witty wordplay throughout.
McFarren transforms the stage into a Parisian café and invites the campus to pull up a chair, share a drink, and experience the fleeting, unpredictable magic of live theater.
Six tables are placed on the stage, and an immersive experience awaits “for those brave enough to sit there,” McFarren says. All those who take their seats at the Lapin Agile will be considered active patrons, and can expect attention from the cast.
Within McFarren’s extensive track record directing comedies, Picasso at the Lapin Agile stands out as a longtime favorite. As she approaches her own graduation of sorts — retirement — the play is a happy choice to close out McFarren’s tenure at Denison.
Beyond the laughs, the core of the show honors youthful ambition and the drive to make an impact in the finite time that we have. “You’ve got to do what you want to do, while you want to do it,” McFarren says. “You’re not going to be here forever.”
As she takes her final bow, McFarren leaves the stage just as a great director should — vibrant, laughing, and with an audience that still wants more.
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
By Steve Martin
Directed by Cheryl McFarren
Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile imagines a 1904 Parisian bar where young Picasso and Einstein — on the brink of changing art and science forever — spar, flirt, and philosophize with a host of eccentrics. Their witty debates about creativity, fame, and the future are as hilarious as they are profound. The play cleverly explores how genius is shaped by its time and, in turn, shapes the world.
Picasso at the Lapin Agile is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Performance dates and times are as follows:
- 7 p.m., Friday, April 10
- 7 p.m., Saturday, April 11
- 2 p.m., Sunday, April 12
- 7 p.m., Thursday, April 16
- 7 p.m., Friday, April 17
- 7 p.m., Saturday, April 18
- 2 p.m., Sunday, April 19
This event is free and open to the public; however, tickets are required at artsatdenison.ludus.com
