with video: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre offers Steve Martin's take on "Picasso"

An artist and a physicist walk into a bar… and then they have a highly fanciful conversation in Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” now being staged by Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.

Imagining a meeting between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein in 1904 — when Picasso was just making a name for himself, and Einstein was a year shy of publishing his theory of relativity — “Picasso” is a comedy fueled by intellectual questions.

“With the comedy on top, on the surface, (the play) is really a discussion of what drives our culture,” said director Thom Johnson. “It takes place in the beginning of the 20th century, and these two men are looking forward to what’s going to drive that century. Will it be Einstein or Picasso, art or science, that’s going to shape how we live our life?”

“They both present their arguments and come to the conclusion that maybe art and science aren’t that far apart in what they try to do, in terms of benefiting mankind,” said Johnson.

But what also drives the 20th century, and thus must inevitably be part of this conversation, is the role of fame.

Martin is experienced with this phenomenon himself, following his meteoric rise in stand-up comedy during the 70s. Since that time, he’s established himself in many cultural fields, thus making him the right playwright for a comedy of ideas.

“Since he’s multi-talented as a musician, actor, comedian, and writer, he seems to be using (the play) to somehow come to grips with how an artist or scientist functions, and how they get their ideas,” said Johnson. “What the most important pieces of groundbreaking ideas are, and how they come to be.”

But is Martin’s trademark voice evident in “Picasso”? “Throughout the play, there are references to the play itself, and I really see a lot of Steve Martin in that,” said Johnson. “He often brings the audience back to the fact that they’re sitting in a theater rather than having the play go on blithely, refusing to recognize itself as a play. And when characters talk to an audience, the asides seem quite Martin-esque, like something Steve would say. An extension of himself.’”

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.

PREVIEW
“Picasso at The Lapin Agile”
Who: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
What: Steve Martin’s comedy, set in a Parisian bar called The Lapin Agile, finds young Pablo Picasso and young Albert Einstein musing on art, science, fame and fortune, while quirky characters from the present and future throw in their two cents.
Where: Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 N. University Ave.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, November 19-22 only.
How much: $14-$18 ($10 for students).
Info: 734-971-2228 or A2CT's web site.

Watch a video preview of "Picasso at the Lapin Agile":