Picasso at the Lapin Agile

Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a play written by Steve Martin in 1993. It features Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, who meet at a café called the Lapin Agile in Paris. It is set around the turn of the 20th century and both men are on the verge of an amazing idea when they find themselves at the Lapin Agile, where they have a lengthy debate about the value of genius and talent while interacting with a host of other characters.

Each character in Lapin Agile performs a specific function. For example, Schmendimann, an overweight, overbearing man who believes he is a genius but knows very little, represents attitudes at the turn of the century. Mean while, Gaston, an amicable old Frenchman with prostate problems, compliments Schmendimann by representing the painfully flawed worldview of the previous century.

Picasso and Einstein eventually realize that their abilities are equally valuable. However, once they have their moment of insight, "The Visitor," an unidentified man from the future, crashes the party. The Visitor is not identified directly, although there is little question that he is Elvis Presley, easily identified by his suede shoes among other thing. Elvis adds a third dimension to Picasso and Einstein's debate: celebrity.

The play finishes with a lesson about how important each of these respective qualities – science (Einstein), art (Picasso), and culture (The Visitor) – is