OpenStage Theatre Presents A PICASSO, 2/18-3/20

OpenStage Theatre’s upcoming production of A PICASSO by Jeffrey Hatcher beings February 18 to March 20.

The year is 1941. In the midst of the German occupation of France, Spanish expatriate Pablo Picasso is brought to a vault below the streets of Paris to identify three works of art the Nazis have recently "acquired." He is met by an enigmatic young German cultural attaché, Miss Fischer, who quickly becomes engaged in a deceptively simple duel of wits with the stubborn, inspired and arrogant Picasso.

Thus begins Jeffrey Hatcher's riveting play about a fictional moment in the life of the father of cubism.

"We see Picasso's human nature, with all his genius and all his faults," said director Emelie Borello, who is helming her fifth OpenStage production. "But in the end we see him in relation to ourselves and not just as a seducer of women and a selfish artist who chooses his art over people. We see him as a man who lives passionately and makes the choices he knows he has to make for himself."

Hatcher's 2003 script crafts his characters with an intimate insight into the battle between artist and critic. During the interrogation, both Picasso and Fischer reveal pasts marked by the anxieties of an unstable Europe. He draws equal inspiration from his little sister and the whores of his youth, sketching each with love and abandon. She embraces Nazi sensibility in order to survive, but at what cost?

"A PICASSO echoes the anxieties of our modern world. My hope is that audiences will leave the play reflecting on whether they themselves are willing to give up a society's art and culture in order to ensure survival," Borello said. "We, as people, are quick to make judgments against those we don't understand. As the reasons behind both Picasso's and Miss Fischer's personal choices are revealed, we develop a greater sense of compassion for them both."

Performances of A PICASSO are at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights from Feb. 18 to March 20, with Sunday matinées at 2 p.m. on Feb. 27, March 6, March 13 and March 20. Performances are at Nonesuch Theater, 216 Pine Street in Fort Collins.

Individual tickets range from $20-$25 for adults, and $15-$18 for seniors and students and groups of 10 or more. Matinee tickets range from $15-$20 per person. As each individual performance starts to sell out, prices increase, so it is recommended that patrons purchase their tickets early.

Tickets for FAB Friday, sponsored by Boulder Beer, on Feb. 25, are $12 and include a free beer at intermission. There is an additional "pay-what-you-can" performance on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Admission to "pay-what-you-can" will be by donation at the door with no advance reservations.

Tickets are available from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, through the Lincoln
Center box office at (970) 221-6730 and online at www.LCTIX.com.

PlayClub on Sunday, March 13, will include a post-show discussion facilitated by Old Firehouse Books. Interested individuals can purchase scripts of A PICASSO through Old Firehouse Books, 232 Walnut Street in Old Town Fort Collins.

Childcare is available for the Friday performances on Feb. 18, March 4 and March 18 through Young People's Learning Center, 209 E. Plum St. Call Young People's Learning Center at 970-482-1212 for childcare reservations.

A free performance for students and educators, funded by The Thornton Family Foundation, will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m. To make reservations for the student/educator performance, contact OpenStage Theatre at 970-484-5237.

A play guide containing information on the play and the playwrights is available online at www.openstage.com. Click on the A PICASSO button on the home page and then select the Play Guide icon at the top of the show page.

Audiences are invited to meet the cast of A PICASSO following every performance.

Major funding for A PICASSO is provided by Harper Point Photography and Citizen Printing with additional funding from The Armstrong Hotel.

For more information, visit OpenStage's website at www.openstage.com or call 970-484-5237.

 

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