Great minds can do more than just think alike. They can learn from each other. And that's what No Refund Theatre will illustrate in its next show Picasso at the Lapin Agile.

Written by comedian/actor Steve Martin, the entirety of the play is set in a French bar in 1904.

This is where Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein meet.

"[Picasso and Einstein] see each other's work as valuable in their own sense. The play is more about Picasso learning that his talent is not something ordinary and it has a higher meaning," said Dan Kirchheimer (senior-energy business and finance), director of the show. "It is very witty and creative. And because it's by Steve Martin, there are lots of inside jokes and smart humor, not crude humor."

Picasso is played by Matt Davidson (senior-media studies and political science). He said it's a fun part to play because Picasso is always changing.

"He's sort of eccentric," Davidson said. "He thinks that he is the center of attention and he moves from one emotion to the other, like he's emotionally ADD."

Kirchheimer said directing the show has been an interesting experience. He feels he has grown from the whole process.

"I look at a play now and can see beyond the words on the page. I see how it should happen and I get the actors to do it. I feel like a dad sometimes, but it's fantastic to see how it's grown and that it works," Kirchheimer said.

Davidson said his favorite aspect of the play is that it depends on the comfort levels between the actors and the way it is set in a simple scene.

"It is built on the chemistry between the actors," he said. "It's simply people acting around a bar and that's the coolest aspect. It's just a scene at the bar regardless of its wit."

David Barchet (sophomore-advertising) said the show is a satire about how the 20th century evolved, and that it pokes fun of the events that occurred throughout the years.

"There is a scene where the characters talk about what will happen in the future," Barchet said. "One character lists everything that does happen, and all the characters dismiss it as ridiculous."

Kirchheimer said the surprise in the play lies in the character Charles Dabernow Schmedndiman. This character is where Martin's personality is visible to the audience, he said.

"Schmedndiman is Schmedniman. He is one of the most interesting characters, and you can really see Steve Martin come out," he said. "People know Einstein and Picasso, but who is Schmedndiman?"

Davidson said the audience is not off the hook for this play and will have some homework to do before coming to the show.

"If there's one thing I can say, it's Wikipedia Picasso and Einstein before you get here. Martin is a smart guy. There are a lot of jokes based on paintings and different phases of his art. The more you know about history the more you'll get," Davidson said.

Kirchheimer said the show is about self-discovery and that everyone, even geniuses, have something to learn.

"It's about the discovery of who you are and what you can be," he said. "Everyone learns something in the bar through drink or talk." Brad Einstein (sophomore-Spanish) said he likes how the play has made the cast close and looks forward to the technical obstacles that lie ahead. "It's a tight-knit group. Everything is going well," Einstein said. "But there are a lot of technical aspects that we have to face. We have to build a whole bar which will be fun."

Kirchheimer said there's a simple reason why students should come out to see the show.

"It's funny, duh. If you like Steve Martin you'll love this," Kirchheimer said. "I promise it's not an everyday show."