A witty comedy which blends humor with profound questions This September, Bennington Theater presents Picasso at the Lapin Agile, a comedic play by Steve Martin that imagines a meeting between a young Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein in a Parisian bar in 1904. Picasso at the Lapin Agile explores themes of art, science, and genius through witty dialogue and a surreal encounter with Elvis Presley.The play, which blends slapstick humor with profound questions, was a major success, premiering at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre before moving to Los Angeles and New York. The play features the characters ofAlbert EinsteinandPablo Picasso, who meet at abarcalled theLapin Agile(French: "Nimble Rabbit") inMontmartre,Paris. It is set on October 8, 1904, and both men are on the verge of disclosing amazing ideas (Einstein will publish hisspecial theory of relativityin 1905 and Picasso will paintLes Demoiselles d'Avignonin 1907). At the Lapin Agile, they have a lengthy debate about the value ofgeniusandtalent, while interacting with a host of other characters. Martin has written: "Focusing on Einstein'sSpecial Theory of Relativityand Picasso's master painting,Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, the play attempts to explain, in a light-hearted way, the similarity of the creative process involved in great leaps of imagination in art and science".