The Factory x Groove Theatre presents

Picasso at Lapin Agile

July 10-12, 2026

The Avalon Theatre

Overview

By Steve Martin
Directed by Liz Clarke

Set in the bohemian heart of 1904 Paris, Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a brilliant, absurdist comedy that imagines a chance encounter between two of the 20th century’s most legendary minds. The play unfolds at the historic Lapin Agile cabaret, where a 23-year-old Pablo Picasso and a 25-year-old Albert Einstein engage in a high-stakes battle of wits. Both men stand on the precipice of greatness—Picasso is months away from painting the revolutionary Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, while Einstein is nearing the publication of his Special Theory of Relativity. Through their spirited debate, Martin explores the idea that the creative spark driving scientific discovery is identical to the one fueling artistic genius.

The production is much more than a historical period piece; it is a witty, self-aware farce that frequently breaks the fourth wall and toys with time itself. As the two geniuses argue over the future of the new century, they are surrounded by a cast of eccentric barflies and dreamers who provide both comic relief and philosophical grounding. The play reaches its surreal peak with the arrival of a mysterious, time-traveling “Visitor” from the 1950s, symbolizing the eventual rise of global pop culture. Ultimately, Picasso at the Lapin Agile is a hilarious yet profound celebration of the transformative power of the human imagination.

“53% Of” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

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Cast

Freddy – the owner and bartender of the Lapin Agile

Gaston – an abrupt and direct old Frenchman with prostate problems, who talks plainly and seems to care only about sex and drinking

Germaine – a waitress at the Lapin Agile

Albert Einstein – a 25-year-old scientist with big aspirations

Suzanne – a beautiful 19-year-old girl who is infatuated with Picasso

Sagot – Picasso’s art dealer, who is obsessed with finding and selling great pieces of art for profit

Pablo Picasso – a talented and charismatic 23-year-old painter

Charles Dabernow Schmendiman – a young inventor with huge dreams and little knowledge

The Countess – an extremely intelligent and attractive woman, with whom Einstein is infatuated

A Female Admirer – a young admirer Picasso assumes is a fan of his, but who turns out to be an admirer of Schmendiman

The Visitor – a polite and talented country-boy time-traveler, who adds another dimension and point of view to Einstein’s and Picasso’s debate; he is a blue-suede-shoed musician

Creative Team

Director – Liz Clarke

Producer – Cecile Storm

Stage Manager – Joseph Fox

Costumes – Cecile Storm

Sound, Lighting, Set Design – E.T. Wilford

Special Thanks –

About the Director

E.T. Wilford is a director and lighting designer with extensive experience across the Delmarva region. He has directed over 25 plays and musicals for a wide range of production companies, including: Company; Pan & Wendy; Assassins; Kiss of the Spider Woman; Sweeney Todd; Dog Sees God (Underground Actors); Leaving Iowa; Merrily We Roll Along; The Rocky Horror Show (Tred Avon Players); Let The Right One In; Jungle Book; Red Riding Hood; The Little Mermaid; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; The Yellow Boat; Torch Song Trilogy (Groove Theatre Company); George Orwell’s 1984; Into the Woods; Peter and the Star Catcher; Revenge of the Space Pandas; and The Elephant Man, among others. His work spans professional, community, and educational theatre settings.

Wilford founded the student-led theatre group, Underground Actors, in Easton at the age of 16, returning to it each summer as a director. In 2018, he founded Groove Theatre Company in Cambridge, MD, where he served as the organization’s founding Executive Director. He later served on the Board of Directors for Tred Avon Players for five years following his graduation from college and has remained actively involved with theatres throughout the Eastern Shore.

In addition to directing, Wilford frequently serves as lighting director for his own productions and those of other companies. He has also toured children’s theatre productions to elementary schools in Northern Virginia, teaching acting and improvisation to young performers. He holds a BFA in Theatre for Youth from Shenandoah Conservatory.

His most recent project was directing The Elephant Man (for a second time) at the Garfield Center for the Arts in Chestertown, MD, in October 2025.

Production Photos

Photography by Cecile Storm