Picasso at the Lapin Agile (II)
Steve Martin
Opening Date:
July 7, 2023
Closing Date:
July 29, 2023
In a Parisian bar in 1904, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso trade ideas about art, science, fame, and the future. Steve Martin’s absurdist comedy brings an eccentric crowd of patrons together, culminating in a surprise visitor from the 1950s.
Cast & Crew
Production Notes
Production History
Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile ran July 7–29, 2023, as the inaugural public mainstage production on the Inasmuch Foundation Stage at 1009 W. Reno Avenue. It is the only confirmed in-person mainstage production of Season 39 (2022–2023) in the CST archive.
Reopening and Open House
CST converted a 1946 automotive warehouse into its new home. Pandemic disruptions, labor shortages, and supply delays slowed the renovation. During that period, an April 2021 fire at a separate storage warehouse destroyed decades of furnishings, props, and costumes. Rhonda Clark told The Oklahoman that only three of the original ten cast members remained by opening. The June 24 public open house, from 5–8 p.m., offered building tours, a preview of the auditorium seating and new ticketing system, and an exhibition by Suzanne Wallace Mears. A second open house and ribbon cutting followed on June 25.
CST Connections
CST previously staged Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Stage Center in May 2000. A contemporary Journal Record listing advertised performances through May 27. The Journal Record
Rhonda Clark, Terry Veal, Ed Spinelli, Laurie Blankenship, and Ben Hall reunited after Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower (2021), CST’s final production at 800 W. Main Street. Veal appeared in both the final Main Street production and the first mainstage production on Reno.
Craig Musser played the title role in My Name Is Asher Lev (2013), which Clark directed and costumed and in which Hall also performed. C. W. Bardsher played eight additional characters in Out of Sterno, the finale of that same season, directed by Veal.
David Burkhart played Charles Babbage in Ada and the Engine (2021), with scenic design by Ben Hall and costumes by Rhonda Clark. Scott Hynes previously served on the lighting crew for Murderers (2009) and Mauritius (2010). www.broadwayworld.com
Press and Media
“OKC’s Carpenter Square Theatre Makes a Comeback” — The Journal Record, June 12, 2023, Kathryn McNutt’s preview of the venue and opening production.
Reopening feature — The Oklahoman, July 6, 2023, Brandy McDonnell’s coverage with rehearsal images in the republished version.
“Carpenter Square Theatre Audiences Enjoy New, Permanent Home” — Oklahoma City Free Press, October 29, 2023, a retrospective on the move and reopening.
Institutional Support
Oklahoma Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Inasmuch Foundation, Kirkpatrick Family Fund, and Allied Arts.
Licensing
Current listing from Concord Theatricals.