By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Justin Raver, Kewanee, as Pablo Picasso; Victor Angelo, Geneseo, as a visitor from the future; and Mischa Hooker, Davenport, as Albert Einstein, join forces in Steve Martin’s comedy, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” which opens Aug. 20 at the Barn Theatre in Geneseo. Contributed Photo
Geneseo’s Richmond Hill Players continue the 2026 season with “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” a comedy by Steve Martin. The show will be presented Thursdays through Sundays, Aug.20-30, in the Barn Theatre at Richmond Hill Park, Geneseo.
Jennifer Kingry, Geneseo, directs the play.
ABOUT THE PLAY:
Step into Paris, 1904, for a legendary battle of wits. Actor/screenwriter/comedian Steve Martin’s intellectual comedy, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” imagines a fictional encounter between young Albert Einstein and young Pablo Picasso at a Bohemian café, as both stand on the verge of cultural breakthroughs: Einstein’s special theory of relativity and Picasso’s cubism. The two debate art, science, and inspiration alongside a colorful cast of eccentric bar regulars, culminating in a surreal visit from a time-traveling rock ’n’ roll icon. Blending philosophical ideas with laugh-out-loud physical comedy, the play explores the creative spark that defined the dawn of the 20th century and offers a thought-provoking and entertaining night of theater.
The play is rated PG-13 for adult humor, innuendo, mild profanity and barroom setting. As a one-act play that runs under 90 minutes, it will be performed without intermission.
The cast features Victor Angelo, Bruce Carmen and Mathew McConville, all of Geneseo; Andy Schaser, Cambridge; Justin Raver, Kewanee, Kassidy Holdridge, Mischa Hooker, Tori House, all of Davenport; Shyan DeVoss, Rock Island, and Samuel Carrington, Galesburg.
The staff includes stage manager Terri Nelson, Lynn Center; Light/sound designer/operator Jennifer Kingry; set builder Mike Skiles, and crew person Janet VanDerSchaaf, all of Geneseo; set builder/propmaker Jim Skiles, Colona; and special fx consultant David Shaffer, Moline.
On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the show beginning at 7:30 p.m. Sunday shows are 3 p.m. matinees with the doors opening at 2 p.m.
Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling the Richmond Hill box office at 309-944-2244 or by visiting the website at rhplayers.com.
Late seating is not permitted; no one will be admitted to the theater after the show has started.
Patrons who leave the theater during the performance will not be allowed to return to their seat until there is a suitable break in the play.
Admission to all performances is $12.
An audio description performance will be held Friday, Aug. 21. Richmond Hill also offers Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs), which can be requested at the time reservations are made.
ABOUT: RICHMOND HILL PLAYERS - a non-profit community theater group presenting plays in the converted top floor of an old dairy barn in Geneseo since 1968. Approximately 100 active members are involved on and off-stage each year, with actors, directors, backstage personnel, support staffs, and audience drawn from a 75–100-mile radius that includes cities in both Illinois and Iowa.
