Boston College Theatre Department Presents Steve Martin's PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE Beginning 1/30

The Boston College Theatre Department presents the first play of the spring semester: the acclaimed comedy Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Written by iconic comedian Steve Martin, the production is directed by BC senior and theater major Shannon DeBari. It will be presented, in the Bonn Studio Theater of BC's Robsham Theater Arts Center, from January 30 through February 2, 2013.

In the play, Martin-an acclaimed actor, musician, author, playwright and producer-explores the idea of what would happen if two geniuses, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, were to meet just as each was about to set the world on fire: Einstein as he is about to publish his "General Theory of Relativity" and Picasso as he is about to leave his "Blue" period. It examines some of life's most difficult topics, like love and happiness.

"I love the absurd humor in this show coupled with the history of the characters and the Lapin Agile, an actual bar in Paris that was home to artists and progressive thinkers in the 1900s and is still around today," says DeBari. "I was fascinated by the possibility that Einstein and Picasso may have actually met at this bar in 1904 and exchanged ideas right before their inevitable fame."

Martin first started writing comedy for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1967-68), and won an Emmy in 1969. A writer for the Sonny and Cher Show (1972-73), he also performed stand-up in local clubs and appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. His big break came as a guest host on NBC's Saturday Night Live in 1977, when his offbeat and irreverent humor made him a celebrity. In 1979, he starred in a full-length feature film, The Jerk, the first of many successful movies. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, Martin published the acclaimed novella Shopgirl in 2001; it was adapted to film in 2005.

In addition to director DeBari, the Boston College Theatre Department Workshop production features an all-student design team: Chelsea Palumo '14 (scenery), Pingwei Li '13 (costumes), Ben Wilson '14 (lights) and Pat Scherer '13 (sound). Sarah Krantz '15 is the Stage Manager. The cast includes Chris Gouchoe '13 as Picasso, Billy McEntee '14 as Einstein, Tim Kopacz '13 as Freddy, Sarah Goldstein '13 as Germaine, Sarah Mass '15 as Suzanne, Leo Magrini '13 as Gaston, Tom Brown '13 as Sagot, Pat Lazour '13 as Schmendimen, Christine Movius '13 as the Countess and Joe Meade '15 as Elvis.

The production opens on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Saturday, February 2, 2013 in the Bonn Studio of the Robsham Theater Arts Center. General admission tickets are $15, $10 for students, seniors, and BC faculty and staff. Tickets are available online at www.bc.edu/theatre, through the RTAC Box Office, or by calling 617?552?4002. For more information, please go to www.bc.edu/theatre.

BOSTON COLLEGE THEATRE DEPARTMENT ? In 1865, two years after Boston College opened, theatre began at BC. It continued for many years as a student activity under the aegis of the Dramatics Society. In the early 1970s the College of Arts and Sciences established a theater major as part of the Department of Speech, Communications and Theatre. The Robsham Theater Arts Center opened in 1981 as the center of theater production on campus. In 1993 the Theatre Department was established as an independent department. Since then, both the academic and production programs have grown steadily in terms of faculty staff, theater majors, course offerings, and the quality and quantity of productions. For more information go to www.bc.edu/theatre.

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