"well i just can't - not if you're going to say matisse!"

since the newspaper can't touch any of my work at the moment because of my current employment, i figured i'd post the review i wrote of "picasso" here. enjoy!

So Picasso and Einstein walk into a bar…

It sounds like the beginning of a joke shared by two intellectuals between the sips of their lattes. But Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” presented by Lost Nation Theater under Bill Hickok’s direction, takes the scenario and runs with it, mixing highbrow with lowbrow for an evening of sharp comedy that flows as freely as the wine in the Parisian brasserie at which the two twentieth-century icons happen to meet.

Set in 1904, “Picasso” introduces Albert Einstein (Evan Alboum) – a 25-year-old patent clerk set to publish his “General Theory of Relativity” – and Pablo Picasso (Greg T. Parente), 22 years old, deeply entrenched in his famously melancholic “blue period,” and two years from painting his cubist masterpiece “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.” The pair seemingly shares little in common besides blossoming genius and the all-consuming desire to revolutionize their respective fields. While intellectualizing with the Lapin Agile’s bohemian patrons, the men discover they are both searching for beauty – just from different points of view.

Lost Nation draws from Martin’s script to create a cast of characters both familiar and fresh – including straightman barkeep Freddy (Lawrence McDonald) and his lover/barwench Germaine (Jennifer Gundy); lustful elder Frenchman Gaston (Kim Bent – Lost Nation’s Artistic Director), art dealer Sagot (Tim Tavcar) and Suzanne (Elizabeth Capinera), recently fallen under Picasso’s seductive spell. These are people both cynical and optimistic, finding the insights and questions presented by everyday life, from relations between men and women and “icebox laugh” jokes to the future and the time/space continuum.

Gracefully transitioning from discussions of philosophy, art and academia to occasionally crass humor is a hefty task handled with flair by Hickok and “Picasso”’s 11-member cast. The subject manners demand a sense of self-confidence bordering on pretension, but the cast demonstrates an appreciation for the intelligence of “Picasso”’s intended audience. While there are occasional moments of exaggerated delivery that fall flat, the cast predominantly counts on the humor of the script, giving relaxed charming performances. Bent in particular is a gem, giving Gaston a gruff cackle to his voice, a knowing wink accompanying his sly grin.

Parente exudes swagger and lust as the angst-ridden Picasso, giving each gesture clear purpose and style. His face reflects the artist’s sudden shifts in emotion, but his hands are the most dynamic feature, powerful yet graceful enough to paint great works of art. While he occasionally falls victim to facetious preening, Parente cuts through Picasso’s persona to show his personality.

However, it is Alboum who buzzes with the most energy in this production. His Einstein twitters throughout the bar – constantly thinking, questioning, observing with an intensity difficult to look away from for fear of missing some detail. From the frazzled dark hair to his high-pitched giggle of a laugh, Alboum captures the spirit of a man almost incapable of keeping up as the stars in his head race by.

Mark Evancho’s scenic and lighting design evokes a one-time classy establishment now turned shabby chic. Brick walls show through the peeling cream paint while a broom rests against the Rodin bust that later doubles as a coat-rack for a tuxedo jacket. The mish-mash gallery of paintings – ranging from still life to portrait to “Sheep in a Meadow in the Fog” – complements the various styles of chairs and tables to suggest the management possesses an indecisive sense of style. Understated costume and music/sound design by Rachel Kurland and the team of Hickok and Tim Tavcar, respectively, complete the illusion.

Art, beauty, the future – it is all relative and open to debate. Therein lies the heart of “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Lost Nation’s production welcomes the audience into the debate.

So join in, stay awhile and enjoy.