Einstein and Picasso view the world at Citadel Theatre

 

Acsione (Picasso), Dan Deuel (Gaston) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Citadel theatre (Photo courtesy of CitadeNorth Shore Camera Club l Theatre.
Philip C. Matthews (Freddy), Travis Acsione (Picasso), Dan Deuel (Gaston) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Citadel theatre (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre.

3 Stars

It may be hard to imagine what a conversation would be like between Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso if the two 20th century geniuses met in a Parisian bar before they achieved international fame.

Comedic actor/screenwriter Steve Martin conceived just such a scenario taking place in 1904 in “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” Premiered at Steppenwolf in 1993, the play is once again delighting Chicago area audiences with witty dialogue at Citadel Theatre in Lake Forest.

Reprised 20 years after Citadel co-owner and director Scott Phelps first mounted the show, the dialogue is still meaningful, intellectual, insightful, philosophical and funny.

Mark Yacullo (Einstein) and Juliana Liscio (Einstein's friend, the Countess) Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel theatre.
Mark Yacullo (Einstein) and Juliana Liscio (Einstein’s friend, The Countess) Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera
Club and Citadel Theatre).

First to set the scene at the Lapin Agile, a real cabaret frequented by artists in the Montmartre district (18th arrondissement) of Paris, are bartender Freddy (Philip C. Matthews), barfly Gaston (Dan Deuel), waitress and Freddy’s lover, Germaine (Amy Stricker), and a young, yet to be discovered, Einstein.

He is waiting there for a female friend he told to meet him at a different bar but who knows him well enough to show up at the right location later in the play.

Einstein demonstrates his mathematical mind by answering Freddy’s out-loud musings about some supply costs. Meanwhile, Gaston admires a pastoral painting of sheep behind the bar but a small work by Matisse that was just brought in changes the discussion on what constitutes art.

Travis Ascione (Picasso) and Juliana Liscio (Suzanne) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile) at Citadel Theatre (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club andCitadel Theatre)
Travis Ascione (Picasso) and Juliana Liscio (Suzanne) in Picasso at the Lapin Agile) at Citadel Theatre (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre)

Next on the scene is Suzanne (Juliana Liscio) who has a sketch Picasso gave her during one of their trysts and who wants to see him again. Also entering the bar is Sagot, (Tim Walsh), an art dealer who has already recognized that works by Picasso will eventually be worth many francs.

Eventually, Picasso (Travis Ascione) whom the theater audience seems to have been waiting for, saunters in. Full of himself, he stops at a mirror near the bar.

As different as the geniuses appeared to be, Picasso with an overblown personality and an Einstein who at the time was reserved, the two found each other to be kindred spirits in their vast observations of the world of tomorrow.

The entire cast is excellent but a shoutout also has to go to Jake Busse who pops in as Schmendiman, a crazy, turquois-top-hat wearing inventor of weird, unusable materials.  He points out he is the third man in their scenario.

Cummisford as A Visitor, Amy Stricker as Germaine, Philip C. Matthews as Freddy, Juliana Liscio as The Countess, Mark Yacullo as Einstein, Dan Deuel as Gaston, Travis Ascione as Picasso, and Jake Busse as Schmendiman (Front). (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre)
Cast of Picasso at the Lapin Agile at Citadel Theatre Ian Cummisford as A Visitor, Amy Stricker as Germaine, Philip C. Matthews as Freddy, Juliana Liscio as The Countess, Mark Yacullo as Einstein, Dan Deuel as Gaston, Travis Ascione as Picasso, and Jake Busse as Schmendiman (Front). (Photo courtesy of North Shore Camera Club and Citadel Theatre)

A fourth visitor shows up from the mid-1900’s to as his view of the world. But you have to see the show to find out who.

DETAILS: “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” is at Citadel Theater, 300 N. Waukegan Rd., Lake Forest, now through May 22, 2022. Runtime: 90 minutes, no intermission. For tickets and more information visit Citadel Theatre or call (847) 735-8554.

For more shows visit Theatre in Chicago

Jodie Jacobs

 

Citadel Theatre turns to upbeat shows for current season

 

Citadel Theatre Artistic Director Scott Phelps, (Photo courtesy of Citadel Theatre)
Citadel Theatre Artistic Director Scott Phelps, (Photo courtesy of Citadel Theatre)

Citadel Theatre, a professional, equity organization led by artistic director Scott Phelps and manager/wife Ellen, both longtime actors and directors, is presenting a four-show season designed to overcome pandemic blues.

Phelps talked about the 2021-22 season during a recent phone interview.

Up first and on stage now through Oct. 17, 2021 is Neil Simon’s funny, warm-hearted and insightful “Brighton Beach Memoirs.” (For a review visit Chicago Theater and Arts/Brighton Beach).

“We were in rehearsal for it when we had to close March of 2020 because of the pandemic,” said Phelps. “We’ve had a good response to the show. People are glad to be back seeing live theater.”.

He added, “And we’re glad to be doing live theater. There’s not a lot for audiences here in Lake County. It’s us and Marriott.”(Watch shortly for article on Marriott season).

“The holiday show will be the musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Phelps said.

With book, music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, based on Charles M. Schultz’s comics.  additional dialogue by Michael Mayer and additional music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, it is more than a children’s show, The musical has the Peanuts gang confronting and overcoming issues with help from friends.

“It’s family-friendly, a show for all generations from Grandparents down to grandkids . I like it. It’s upbeat,” he said. Charlie Brown will run Nov. 19 through Dec. 23, 2021.

“Outside Mullingar,” a romantic Irish comedy by John Patrick Shanley continues the season Feb. 11 to March 13, 2022.

“It’s light. Shanley has written dark plays like “Doubt, ” said Phelps. (Doubt-A Parable received the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drams)

“But people have been going through the pandemic. People need light. They need to laugh so we changed a couple of shows planned,” he said

Phelps pointed out that Shanley, a gifted playwright and screenwriter, had also written “Moonstruck” with Cher. It won the 1988 Academy Award for best Original screenplay.

Referring to directors who advocated presenting plays that are challenging, Phelps said, We’ve done that but its not right for this year. We changed out a couple of choices.  People want to feel good.

The season ends with Steve Martin’s witty comedy, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” April 22  through May 22, 2022. It has Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein discussing life’s probabilities at a Paris café in 1904.

“This is the first show that we are bringing back. It was in  the second season at Gorton. Not many of our patrons have seen that,” said Phelps.

Noting that the pandemic has changed our lives and how people will be discussing what was and what might be, Phelps added, “This is a good show to bring ack now.”

For those who might not have been around or knew of Citadel Theatre’s beginnings, it started in 2002 and put on shows in the basement of Gorton Community Center, a former school near downtown Lake Forest.. Citadel moved to its current space, a former science lab in what was a west campus school facility on Waukegan Road in Lake Forest in 1010. Citadel became an Equity company in 2015.

And Phelps plans to stay there. “I just signed another five-year lease,” he said. Pointing out that the room’s rows were raised, Phelps said, “There’s not a bac seat in the house.”

For tickets and more information visit Citadel Theatre.

Jodie Jacobs