Western Reserve Academy is thrilled to present its winter play Picasso at the Lapin Agile inside our Knight Fine Arts Center.
Friday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 2, at 2 p.m.
Admission is free with open seating.
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The year is 1904. The setting: the Lapin Agile, a quaint Parisian café where drinks flow freely, the conversations tilt existential, and the clientele includes a young, unproven Albert Einstein and an equally untested Pablo Picasso. It’s an unlikely but intriguing premise, made all the more so by the man behind the script: Steve Martin. Yes, that Steve Martin.
This January, Western Reserve Academy will host Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Martin’s absurdist comedy that imagines an evening when art, science and a touch of time travel collide. “It’s clever and funny but also has this layer of magic to it,” said Director Donalee Ong, who returns to this play a decade after first staging it at WRA.
For Ong, Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a piece of personal history. She first saw the show at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, performed by the original cast — a formative experience, made even more special by her connection to one of the actors. Revisiting the play now feels like reconnecting with an old friend, albeit one with a propensity for puns and philosophical musings.
“I like [the play] for a lot of reasons,” Ong explains. “It’s helpful that the characters are all young. Picasso and Einstein aren’t yet the legends we know. They’re just young men on the verge of greatness. That makes them relatable — even as they wrestle with questions about the nature of genius and the future of humanity.”
Think of Lapin Agile, which translates to “the nimble rabbit,” as a Parisian salon with a slightly wobbly table or two — a gathering place where big ideas and small absurdities intermingle.
“It’s the Cheers of Paris in 1904,” Ong says. The play imagines Einstein and Picasso at a moment of potential, their destinies not yet cemented. As they spar over art, science and the meaning of it all, the audience is invited to consider not only the turn of the twentieth century but also the possibilities for the century ahead.
For WRA, a school nearing its Bicentennial in 2026, this theme feels particularly resonant. What will the next hundred years hold? Who will be the Picassos and Einsteins of the twenty-first century?
Comedy, of course, is Martin’s stock-and-trade, and his script doesn’t disappoint. “When the cast first read it, they couldn’t stop laughing,” Ong recalls. “I think they heard ‘Einstein’ and thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be about boring science.’ But then we started reading, and they realized how clever and funny it is.”
The humor is characteristically Martin-esque: accessible, sharp and occasionally absurd. There are moments of slapstick, verbal sparring and rampant pun-making. Even the characters’ conflicts — petty, sibling-like squabbles — ultimately resolve with a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect.
For the audience, the play offers an opportunity to see these historical icons as human beings: ambitious, fallible and occasionally ridiculous. “I think one of the joys of this play is realizing that these towering figures of history were also just people,” Ong said.
Rehearsals for Picasso at the Lapin Agile have been a blend of historical education and creative discovery. Ong has guided her cast through the finer points of 1904 etiquette — waltzing, pouring drinks and the art of the Parisian cheek kiss — while occasionally fielding humbling questions like, “Who’s Elvis?”
In the wings, Technical Theater Director Brandon Davies has been hard at work transforming the stage into a cozy Parisian corner café, complete with a touch of otherworldly charm. Meanwhile, Fine & Performing Arts Chair Carol Parker Mittal has reimagined costumes from the 2012 production, bringing a sense of authenticity and elegance to the stage.
At its heart, Picasso at the Lapin Agile is an exploration of possibility — for its characters, its audience and the century ahead.
“I hope the audience leaves wondering what ideas will still matter a hundred years from now,” Ong says. “And who will be the geniuses of the next century?”
For now, though, one thing is certain: a night at the Lapin Agile promises laughter, inspiration and maybe even a bit of magic.
Break a leg, Pioneers.
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Picasso at the Lapin Agile — Cast List
Pablo Picasso – Daniel Randazzo ’27
Albert Einstein - Tristan Kahrl ’26
Freddie - Tiger Chu ’28
Gaston - James Vacca ’26
Germaine - Brianna Lincoln ’28
Suzanne - Tia Zheng ’27
Sagot - Andrew Schneider ’25
Schmendiman - Anthony Parker ’27
Countess - Lisa Flower ’27
An Admirer - Maria de Los Llanos Flecha ’27
A Visitor - Hunter Isroft ’26
Stage Manager - Marie Gentile ’25
Assistant Managers - Ronan Flower ’28, Lisa Flower ’27, Maria de Los Llanos Flecha ’27
Crew: Sarah Wilcox ’25, Anna Ciambarella ’27, Ellie Doe ’27
