Picasso at the Lapin Agile

By Steve Martin
Directed by Mario Rodriguez

Auditions March 23-24, 2026 at 7 pm

Performances May 15-31, 2026

Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script and some improvised scenarios.

This long-running Off Broadway absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian café in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism.  In his first comedy for the stage, Steve Martin plays fast and loose with fact, fame, and fortune as these two geniuses muse on the century’s achievements and prospects, as well as other fanciful topics, with infectious dizziness.

Character Descriptions:

Pablo Picasso – male, 21-25 – passionate and confident young painter convinced he will revolutionize art. Charismatic, romantic and slightly arrogant. He debates creativity and genius with Einstein. 

Albert Einstein – male, 23-30 – shy but brilliant patent clerk with wild ideas about time, space and the universe. He is socially awkward but deeply thoughtful and curious. 

Freddy – male, 30-50 – bartender at the Lapin Agile. Practical, sarcastic and often the voice of reason. 

Gaston – male, 40+ – regular at the bar, friend of Freddy’s. Simple-minded but cheerful. Often provides comic relief and loves hearing stories. 

Germaine – female, 30-50 – Freddy’s girlfriend. Stylish, flirtatious and practical. She represents a grounded perspective compared with the intellectual debates happening around her. 

Suzanne – female, 18-25 – Picasso’s date. Charming and attractive but not particularly interested in intellectual conversations. She becomes frustrated with Picasso’s artistic ego. 

Sagot – male or female, 30+ – art dealer who recognizes Picasso’s potential before anyone else does. Ambitious and opportunistic. 

The Countess – female, 40+ – wealthy aristocrat fascinated by artists and intellectuals.

A Visitor (Elvis Presley) male, 25+ – mysterious young man from the future, representing a different kind of cultural genius. Elvis impersonators are welcome.