Rating: 
Summary: A Brilliant, Funny, Fictional Encounter of Two Geniuses
Review: All of the plays in this collection are immensely enjoyable and demonstrate Steve Martin's wit and positive brilliance. This brilliance has also been demonstrated in his screenplays for Roxanne and L.A. Story.
Rating:
Summary: 'Picasso' Paints a Portrait of Humanity
Review: As a theatre student I had the opportunity to perform WASP during my freshman year of college. Even after a cursory, superficial first reading of the script, I was immediately struck by Martin's impeccable employment of dialogue. He's not writing plays that are meant to be just read; Martin's flawless command of speech demands to be performed. This collection of plays uses comedy to explore the inate saddness of the human condition. These characters, while indeed caricatures, are still very much real at their core. Despite their esoteric behavior and circumstances, they are struggling with extremely universal plights. Steve Martin's insights are at once achingly funny and beautifully tragic. And simply reading these plays is not enough; if the opportunity presents itself, see any or all of them. Over and over again. You'll thank me -- or rather, you'll thank Steve.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous plays!
Review: For anyone looking to direct a wonderful, challenging one act play, try this collection! I directed WASP (which is full of fantastic monologues, just right for auditions for both men and women) and have been constantly thinking of new ways in which it could be interpreted. There is a lot of room for a director to innovate within the text. The other plays in this collection -- I have read them happily, thinking of their surprisingly poignant possibilities. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who is ready for a fun, compelling artistic challenge!
Rating: 
Summary: A Dissenting View
Review: I admire Steve Martin's talent as a comedian and comic film actor, but I have to disagree with many of the previous reviews, especially the raves. Referring only to Picasso at the Lapin Agile, I have to say: a clever situation does not make a play, nor does a series of gags. These are essentially what Lapin Agile relies on to occupy its 80 minutes of stage time. Having worked on a professional production of this play, I'm compelled to point out that once all the major characters have entered, the play gets lost in aimless talk, which is supported by only the thinnest thread of theatrical or conceptual logic. If Elvis didn't show up toward the end, bringing a bit of spectacle to the party, the forward momentum of the play would limp to a halt. The play ends with a kind of corny summing-up of 20th century genius. Steve Martin fans love it: The one-liners and gags keep the play afloat. Given the promising premise, however, the chance meeting of Einstein and Picasso at a Paris bar, each on the verge of his greatest accomplishments ... well, the result is humorous, but disappointing. I can't help but think that Tom Stoppard could take such an idea and make a play that would be funny and profound.
Rating: 
Summary: "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" - art meets smart
Review: I haven't read the other plays yet, but I just finished reading 'Picasso' yesterday. I laughed out loud several times. There were some very clever lines, such as: "Why would an artist be cynical?" "I think it's called marketing." Who couldn't like a play involving a clash between Art (Picasso) and Smart (Einstien) which ends with Elvis Presley showing up at the end ("I like to show up where people least expect it, you know..supermarkets, fair grounds, but I got bored, so, uh, I thought I'd do a little time-traveling")? I think the self-references ("Wait, you're fourth in order of appearence, you're early") were unneccesary, and that technique is really old at this time. But anyway, it was very entertaining. I'm going to see it performed live tonight. I can't wait!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious, but a little jokey for the stage
Review: I played Gaston (the comic relief) in a college production of "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" and think that it's one of the wittiest and funniest plays of the last 10 years. The one-liners are classic and the actors, not to mention the audiences, were rolling in the aisles. However, don't be fooled by Martin's witty quips; he is, after all, a stand-up and not a playwright. His characters are not well developed and their relationships--let alone their motivations--are never fleshed out in spite of Einstein and Picasso's long musings on the nature of art and science. Definitely pick up "Picasso" and read it, but be hesitant to stage it if you want your laughs to come from relationships and characters rather than jokes.
Rating:
Summary: Intellectual and charming
Review: I really enjoyed reading the play. What made it even better was seeing the play a few months later. I definitely recommend reading the book before it is on stage. This plays particularly appeals to anyone who's interested in clever dialogs and has a wild imagination.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I saw the "Picasso" play in Laguna Beach, and was disappointed. I'm a Steve Martin fan, and a fan of the theater. But, frankly, this seemed like a play that was written by a TV gag man (Martin wrote the old "Smothers Brothers" show.) It was very very two-dimensional, considering its intellectual pretentions. Frankly, I think Martin is a first rate comedic actor, and stand-up comedy writer and performer. But the only screenplay he wrote that was good was ROXANNE, and that was good because he just updated--and did a twist on--"Cyrano De Bergerac." He is NOT good at long narrative fiction. He's good--often brilliant-- at small bytes (which is why PURE DRIVEL is good). He should stick to what he does best.
Rating:
Summary: 5 stars is way low
Review: I'm glad Steve Martin doesn't write funny novels, because they might be funnier than mine. When I saw this play in Los Angeles, it depressed me because it was so good. So I saw it again. That time, it didn't depress me because it was good; it depressed me because I couldn't eat, having spent all my money on tickets.
Rating:
Summary: This Is So Great
Review: I've never seen any of the plays performed, but I like them so much, I'm getting ready to stage my own take on these plays.
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