This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Nov. 28, 2011 - What happens when an artistic genius and a master of physics walk into the same bar on an evening in Paris? Well, you get MICDS's recent production of "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" to tell you how it all turns out.
Written in 1993 by Steve Martin, the story follows the tale of Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein at the Lapin Agile bar in 1904 Paris. Each man is a savant in his own right; one a rising artist destined to align his ideas and his canvas in perfect unison, the other a budding genius of physics with a fascination for the world around him.
As the night goes on, the men meet a variety of eclectic bar-goers ranging from a crass old man to an energized inventor to a devoted girl fan. Both verging on their big breakthroughs in life, Picasso and Einstein spend their evening conversing on their personal views on talent, genius and the nature of the universe.
This comedy-packed production filled the theater with laughter and amusement. The majority of the actors had nicely developed roles with enjoyable personality, and technical aspects of the show went off without a hitch.
With a grand, extravagant entrance Dennis Schultz unmistakably portrayed the smooth-talking womanizer Picasso with confidence and ease. His strong presence allowed for a charming artist whom the ladies at the bar swooned over. Countering Picasso's creative ideals was Peter Condie's Einstein, whose logical arguments embodied the scientific, socially awkward genius of his time as a quirky young man and helped Schultz to carry the show.
Also stealing the spotlight was Chris Noda as Gaston, whose foul-mouthed one liners left audience members laughing out loud. Noda's excellent comedic timing and elderly characterization made him stand out no matter what was occurring onstage. As the flash in the pan inventor, John Dunagan's Charles Dabernow Schmendiman picked up the energy of the rest of the cast whenever he took the stage. Dunagan's bubbling charisma was full of animation and expression, never missing a beat. While some lines were stumbled on and enunciation from the whole cast periodically needed improvement, the performers never let it faze them in pushing forward to the next joke.
A simple, but impressive single set (Clayton Gwinnup, Tom Hereford) was artistically fitting for the production. It was skillfully crafted in the style of Picasso, adding to the creative atmosphere of the show. John Dunagan's original music compositions brought in a beautifully timed underscore that never overpowered the actions onstage and enhanced the audience's experience. Overall, tech appeared to flow seamlessly throughout the entire production.
As a whole, the logic and creativity of the mind came together successfully in MICDS's hysterical recent production of "Picasso at the Lapin Agile."
Elyse Bertani is a student at Rockwood Summit High School.
About the Cappies
The Critics and Awards Program for high school theater -- known as Cappies -- was formed in the aftermath of the Columbine shooting to celebrate writing and performing arts at America's high schools. It operates chapters across the nation.
St. Louis' program was launched in 2002-03.
At the end of the year, the top performers, technicians and reviewers are honored during a Tony-style gala.
The Beacon is happy to help spread the word by printing some reviews.