Overview
Synopsis
In Jeffrey Hatcher’s gripping one-act play A Picasso, the stage is set in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1941, where the legendary artist Pablo Picasso finds himself in a tense interrogation. Summoned from his favorite café to a claustrophobic underground vault, Picasso, portrayed as a charismatic yet egotistical genius, faces Miss Fischer, a sharp-witted German cultural attaché. She demands he authenticate three of his paintings, confiscated from Jewish owners, for a Nazi propaganda exhibition meant to burn “degenerate art.” The play crackles with a cat-and-mouse dynamic as Picasso’s defiance and wit clash with Fischer’s calculated authority, setting the stage for a high-stakes battle over art, truth, and survival.
As the interrogation unfolds, the play weaves a rich exploration of Picasso’s life and artistry. Each painting becomes a window into his past, revealing personal stories, loves, and betrayals—like his complex relationship with friend Guillaume Apollinaire or the emotional weight behind his anti-war masterpiece Guernica. Fischer, far from a one-dimensional villain, emerges as a conflicted figure, torn between her admiration for Picasso’s genius and her role in the Nazi regime. Their verbal sparring, laced with humor and sexual tension, probes deeper questions about the value of art, the artist’s responsibility, and the interplay of politics and creativity, keeping performers and audiences on edge.
The play’s 70-minute, intermission-free structure demands intense, nuanced performances from its two actors, offering a showcase for emotional depth and quick-witted dialogue. Picasso’s flamboyant arrogance and Fischer’s layered vulnerability create a dynamic that’s both a psychological duel and a meditation on art’s power in dark times. For drama students and theatre fans, A Picasso is a masterclass in crafting complex characters within a taut, thought-provoking narrative, inviting reflection on how art can resist oppression and what it means to stand firm in one’s truth.
Show Information
Context
Set in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1941, Jeffrey Hatcher’s A Picasso draws inspiration from historical events surrounding the Nazi campaign against “degenerate art,” which targeted modernist works, including those by Pablo Picasso. The play’s premise is rooted in the real-life persecution of artists and the confiscation of art from Jewish owners during World War II, with Picasso’s iconic anti-war painting Guernica (1937) serving as a silent but powerful backdrop, reflecting his rare political
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Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
Non-singer |
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Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A genre of drama based on real people’s lives, exploring their challenges, accomplishments, and inner conflicts.
An extended speech delivered by a single character, either to another character or the audience. Monologues are used for character development and to reveal inner thoughts.
A fascist regime often dramatized to examine themes of extremism, propaganda, genocide, and moral collapse.
A short play presented in a single act without intermission, ideal for festivals, student productions, or concise storytelling.
Subtext refers to the unspoken thoughts, emotions, or intentions that lie beneath a character’s dialogue or actions. It provides depth and complexity to performances, allowing audiences to sense hidden conflicts or desires. Directors and actors often rely on subtext to create nuance and tension in storytelling.
A two-hander is a play performed by only two actors, with the entire story built around their relationship, dialogue, and interaction. This format often heightens dramatic tension, as the focus is entirely on the dynamics between the two characters. Two-handers are common in intimate theatre settings, where subtle shifts in power and emotion drive the performance.
A global conflict often explored in theatre through themes of resistance, loss, trauma, and moral complexity.
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
THEMES
The Value and Nature of Art
In *A
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