Bennington Theater Invites you to AUDITION for PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE by Steve Martin

Auditions: May 2 and 3, 2026, from 12-4 pm, callbacks TBD.

Rehearsals begin July 20, 2026

Performances September 12, 13, 14,1 9, 20, 21, 2026

Auditions are by appointment

Please contact Producer/Director John Lugar to schedule your appointment and learn what to prepare for your audition.

310.801.6805

johnlugar@benningtontheater.org

This long-running Off-Broadway absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism. In his first comedy for the stage, the popular actor and screenwriter Steve Martin plays fast and loose with fact, fame, and fortune as these two geniuses muse on the century’s achievements and prospects, as well as other fanciful topics, with infectious dizziness.

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Cast List

Pablo Picasso

(Age 23): A talented, charismatic, moody, self-confident and intensely egotistical painter. He is a serial womanizer and master of manipulation who represents the raw, passionate power of art. At this stage, he is just years away from his groundbreaking work, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.

Albert Einstein

(Age 25): An ambitious and somewhat arrogant young scientist with big aspirations. He is a genius who frequently has to explain his complex thoughts in simpler terms to those around him. He is wise beyond his years. He represents the logical yet imaginative world of science, just before publishing his Special Theory of Relativity.

Freddy

The simple-minded yet friendly owner and bartender of the Lapin Agile. He occasionally says something truly stunning and breaks the fourth wall to interact with the audience. He is the boyfriend of Germaine.

Germaine

Freddy’s girlfriend and the bar's waitress. She is thoughtful, beautiful, and holds strong opinions about what the 20th century will be like—partly informed by having slept with Picasso.

Gaston

An elderly Frenchman with prostate problems who is a regular at the bar. He is direct, talks plainly, often abruptly, and is primarily concerned with drinking and sex, serving as a grounded, ribald contrast to the high-minded debates of the geniuses.

Suzanne

(Age 19): A beautiful girl infatuated with Picasso after a brief affair. She is hurt and angry when he fails to remember her, highlighting his manipulative nature

Sagot

Picasso’s energetic and fashionable art dealer. He is obsessed with the profit and prestige of finding the next great masterpiece.

Charles Dabernow Schmendiman

A young hardworking inventor in his 30s with huge dreams who lacks true talent and little knowledge, but possesses massive self-importance. He represents the commercialism of the era, standing in stark contrast to the genuine genius of Einstein and Picasso..

The Countess

An exceptionally intelligent and attractive woman who is the only character to truly understand Einstein on his level and with whom Einstein is infatuated. She thinks like he does.

Female Admirer

A young woman Picasso mistakenly assumes is a fan of his, only to discover she is actually an admirer of Schmendiman.

A Visitor

A polite, blue-suede-shoed talented 25 yo"country boy" musician from the 1950s who time-travels into the bar. Widely recognized as Elvis Presley, he adds a third dimension to Einstein's and Picasso's debate by representing the cultural impact of fame and popular music.