How To Steal A Picasso (Comedy published by Theatrical Rights Worldwide)

by William Missouri Downs

FINALIST AT THE EUGENE O'NEILL - PUBLISHED BY TRW (Theatrical Rights Worldwide)

"Amid all the crazy plot turns, Downs finds opportunities to make valid statements about our perceptions of art, delusional self-styled "artists" and how art has lost any meaning beyond its value as a commodity." - Kansas City Star.

"How to Steal a Picasso has the audience chuckling by the end of the
first several speeches. It...

FINALIST AT THE EUGENE O'NEILL - PUBLISHED BY TRW (Theatrical Rights Worldwide)

"How to Steal a Picasso has the audience chuckling by the end of the
first several speeches. It maintains its humor in what the author calls
"farcical reality" all the way through the fast two-act show that is still
able to make its serious points." Broadway World

"A farce with an edge!" – The Kansas City Star

"Amid all the crazy plot turns, Downs finds opportunities to make valid
statements about our perceptions of art, delusional self-styled "artists."
and how art has lost any meaning beyond its value as a commodity." –
The Kansas City Star

Otto Smith's dreams have come true. After a lifetime of struggles as an unknown painter and decades as a tour guide at the Detroit Institute for the Arts, he's won a major art award. But things quickly go wrong when a fifty-million-dollar Picasso is stolen from the museum on the same day that his long-lost son, an alleged art forger, shows up in the Motor City. Soon Otto's family is the chief suspect. This dark comedy looks at what is real and what is counterfeit in this pixilated world where we too often think of artists as employees and art as a mere commodity. How To Steal A Picasso received standing ovations, and its run was extended at the Unicorn Theatre/

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How To Steal A Picasso (Comedy published by Theatrical Rights Worldwide)

Recommended by

Lojo Simon: How To Steal A Picasso (Comedy published by Theatrical Rights Worldwide) by William Missouri Downs

“

I laughed from start to finish reading this crazy dysfunctional family story about art and originality. I highly recommend it for professional, community and college theatres.

I laughed from start to finish reading this crazy dysfunctional family story about art and originality. I highly recommend it for professional, community and college theatres.

”
Eugene O'Neill Theater Center: How To Steal A Picasso (Comedy published by Theatrical Rights Worldwide) by William Missouri Downs

“

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend William Missouri Downs and their play How to Steal a Picasso as a finalist for our 2015 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

It is the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's pleasure to recommend William Missouri Downs and their play How to Steal a Picasso as a finalist for our 2015 National Playwrights Conference. The play rose through a competitive, anonymous, multileveled selection process that took nearly nine months to execute. As one finalist out of hundreds of submissions, the strength of this play’s writing has allowed this work to prosper in such a competitive selection process.

”

Character Information

JOHNNY SMITH

He gave up art to become a lawyer and regrets it. He has secrets.

Character Age

20ish

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any (but probably white)

Character Gender Identity

Cisgender Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
  
  Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
  
  Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
  
  Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
  
  Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
  
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
  
  South Asian or South Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Male
CASEY SMITH

A rough/tough, street-wise, tattooed artist whose hero is Banksy

Character Age

20ish

Character Gender Identity

Cisgender Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  20s
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
  
  Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
  
  Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
  
  Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
  
  Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
  
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
  
  South Asian or South Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Female
BELLE SMITH

A faded Donna Reed on Ritalin, Prozac and Crestor

Character Age

50ish

Character Gender Identity

Cisgender Female
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  40s,
  
  50s
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
  
  Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
  
  Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
  
  Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
  
  Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
  
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
  
  South Asian or South Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Female
OTTO SMITH

A vehement artist who hit his peak three decades ago

Character Age

50isy

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

Any

Character Gender Identity

Cisgender Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  40s,
  
  50s
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  Asian, Pacific Islander, or Asian American,
  
  Black, African, Caribbean, or African American,
  
  Indigenous, First Nation, or Native American,
  
  Latinx/o/a or Hispanic,
  
  Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab American,
  
  Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander,
  
  South Asian or South Asian American
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Male
MR. WALKER

The Chief Operating Officer of the Detroit Institute of Arts and a psychopath light

Character Age

30-40ish

Character Race/Ethnic Identity

White

Character Gender Identity

Cisgender Male
Can be played by:
- Actor Age
  
  30s,
  
  40s,
  
  50s
- Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
  
  White
- Actor Gender Identity
  
  Male

Development History

Type Reading, Salt Lake Acting Company, Year 2015
Type Reading, Unicorn Theatre, Year 2015
Type Workshop, Performance Network Theatre, Year 2015

Production History

Type Professional, Organization Daehakro Arts Theatre - Seoul South Korea, Year 2016
Type Professional, Organization Unicorn Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Year 2016

Awards

Eugene O'Neill

Eugene O'Neill

Finalist

2015

Genre

comedy,

drama,

farce

Subject Matter Keywords

Picasso,

art,

artist

Length

90 minutes to two hours

Cast Size

Age of Intended Audience

ages 18 and up

Supporting Materials

Published Script

/TRW%20%28Theatrical%20Rights%20Worldwide%29.%202021

Supporting Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3EsC820oMs

Reviews

The Kansas City Star

“
“A farce with an edge!”
”
Kansas City Pitch

“
“The energy of a pinball machine, all flashing lights and erratic chimes and emotions that pivot with the stroke of a flipper… How to Steal a Picasso is an unapologetically zany, but Downs finds time to toss a few telling contradictions into the fray.”
”
Broadway World

“
"How to Steal a Picasso has the audience chuckling by the end of the first several speeches. It maintains its humor in what the author calls "farcical reality" all the way through the fast two act show that is still able to make its serious points.”
”
The Kansas City Star

“
“Amid all the crazy plot turns, Downs finds opportunities to make valid statements about our perceptions of art, delusional self-styled “artists” and how art has lost any meaning beyond its value as a commodity.”
”