WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Oct. 14, 2015 — West Liberty University Hilltop Players present the absurdist comedy, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” to open their season this month. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m., Oct 22, 23, 29, 30, 31 and 3 p.m., Nov. 1 in Kelly Theatre.
“The play dramatizes the chance meeting of Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein in a Parisian bar called the Lapin Agile in 1904; just before both men change their fields forever. In 1905, Einstein would publish the special theory of relativity followed soon after by Picasso’s painting of Les Demoiselles d’Avigon,” said Kelly Theatre Director Michael Aulick. “Martin shows us what he thinks could have taken place on a night that the two just happen to be in the same bar.”
An accomplished screenwriter, as well as actor who has turned his talent to writing plays, Steve Martin’s play is a funny, clever comedy that explores serious questions of love, happiness and the meaning of life. Martin’s silly sensibility is felt throughout the play as Picasso and Einstein are joined on stage by a colorful cast of characters that include: Picasso’s agent, his mistress, bar employees, a potential third genius, and a variety of Parisian partygoers.
“We wanted to produce this play to challenge our students. The comedy is big. It is not always logical. It really requires commitment to the joke to make it work and it is forcing the actors to justify the silly things the characters do and say. We know the audience is going to love it; it is just a great script. We just want to make sure we are doing it as well as we can,” said Aulick.
This long running off-Broadway absurdist comedy opened in 1993 and is the winner of the 1996 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off Broadway Play.
The WLU cast includes: Alex Franke (Freddy), Adjunct Professor of Theatre John Hennen (Gaston), Meaghan Macey (Germaine), Brady Dunn (Albert Einstein), Geena Diomedi (Suzanne), Callie Carroll (Sagot), Jed Shook (Pablo Picasso), Zac Morris (Schmendiman), Ingrid Young (Countess), Sarah Lemley (Admirer) and Jeremiah Propst (Visitor).
Stage Manager is Destiny Walsh and assistant stage managers are Alex Burdick and Chris Rees. Vocal coach is adjunct professor of theatre Maggie Balsley and design coordinator is Kelly Theatre Technical Director Meta Lasch. Shop foreman for the production is Rich Deenis.
“Please join us and find out just how entertaining our students are.”
For more information on the Hilltop Players or to view the entire season for 2015 – 2016, please click here. To purchase tickets online (at a discount) visit wlupicasso@brownpapertickets.com or call the WLU Ticket Office at 304.336.8277 to make a reservation.