The Frugal Repast

Abingdon Theatre Company presents Ron Hirsen’s The Frugal Repast, a thought-provoking new play about a Picasso print that sets off a lively debate within the art world. Joe Grifasi directs.

Two impoverished circus performers – unknowingly the subjects of Picasso’s limited edition print – see a copy on display in a Paris gallery. Their outrage at the great artist’s invasion of their privacy (and their personal desperation) leads them to steal it. The ransom note asks for a thousand francs – and fuels Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas and other real-life significant art-world figures to debate what, exactly, is art’s true value. A lively and inspiring new play selected for the 2004 Eugene O’Neill Playwrights and Musical Theatre Conference.