Martin's play chats with Picasso, Einstein

'This has been an exciting process for me because I found out that the great Spanish artist Pablo Picasso didn't really enjoy talking to other artists, but preferred to go out to bars and drink cognac and talk to writers," says actor Brian Zane.

He is portraying the title role in the Parisian comedy "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," opening March 11 as a production of Charleston Stage at Memminger Auditorium.

A native New Yorker, Zane is a member of Charleston Stage's Resident Professional Acting Company and is relishing his nine months working here with Charleston Stage founder and director Julian Wiles. Zane stars as Picasso alongside local actor Randy Risher, who co-stars as a young Albert Einstein.

The play, written by comedian and actor Steve Martin, is conceived as a discussion between the two young geniuses of the 20th century as they argue about how to change the world.

I caught the 1993 Los Angeles premiere of "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," and am happy to report that the "wild and crazy" show was made even wilder and crazier by the fact that seated on the front row was none other than the playwright himself.

Of those in the audience, Martin could be heard laughing the loudest at the antics of the habitues of the Parisian bar. However, at intermission, he stood over in a corner quietly drinking coffee by himself. I didn't have the nerve to ask for an autograph, and apparently neither did anyone else.

Zane, as a young Picasso, talks about the literary license Martin has taken:

"In real life, Picasso and Einstein never really met. However, according to my research, the play closely follows Picasso's characteristics of loving a number of women ... and also being the type of person who, when he came into a place, would take center stage, talking nonstop."

The actor also says, "But later, a change would come over the artist's personality, and he would brood silently for a time, cutting himself off from everyone in a strange manner."

Zane adds, "Picasso would be extremely charming, but then would grow angry in the next minute as significant changes in his personality would take place."

The young actor, who earned a degree in theater from the College of William & Mary, says he has visited the Museum of Modern Art many times in New York, which helps him understand Picasso.

"It's a challenging characterization, but also shows how the two great men, who argue at first about what is more important, science or art, then find they have a lot in common, and begin to understand that both can make great changes during the new 20th century."

Two new elements have been added by Wiles to Martin's script regarding Zane's portrayal of Picasso:

"First, I will play a little piano, and also I will speak with a Spanish accent, which should be fun," the actor says with a laugh.

Wiles adds, "Incidentally, the Lapin Agile bar, which still exists in Paris, symbolizes a place where Picasso was on the verge of igniting the modern art movement and Einstein was eager to show off his own genius with his theory of relativity."

Martin has starred in such hits as "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" and "The Man With Two Brains" and is in the new movie "The Pink Panther II."

In his 2007 autobiography "Born Standing Up," Martin says one reason he wrote "Picasso" was to please and connect with his aging father, from whom he had been estranged.

"Dad loved the play, and said I should win a Pulitzer," wrote Martin. "When he saw it, he laughed more than anybody."

Performances at Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St., start at 7:30 p.m. in a pay-what-you-will preview March 11. Opening night is March 13 with shows continuing at 7:30 p.m. March 14, 19-21 and 3 p.m. March 15 and 22.

Tickets are $29 general public; $27 senior citizens over age 60; $15 students and $10 for limited bargain seats.

To purchase, call 577-7183 or order at www.charlestonstage.com. Group rates are available.

Genre-mixed Art Walk

Don't miss the French Quarter Art Walk to be held 5-8 p.m. Friday. It includes 33 galleries downtown that will open their doors with receptions that are open to the public.

One offering, "On the Stage of Life," mixes performing and visual arts at the Corrigan Gallery, 62 Queen St. It features a solo show by Mary Walker, which was inspired by ballads such as Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit," about seeing a black man hanging from a tree in the Southern countryside. It was an early anti-racism song.

"The paintings show threads of communications that include heartbreak and joy — all emotions are fair game," says Walker, who grew up in North Carolina.

Dottie Ashley is a freelance writer in Mount Pleasant. Reach her at dottieashley@gmail.com.