There's some very good news and some very bad news to report about Heller Theater's presentation of "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," Steve Martin's fictional farce about a meeting between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein in a Paris bar in 1904.

First, the good news: Director Devin Meadows is at the helm of a show that creates a truly wonderful night at the theater that should not be missed, a witty and profound charmer that succeeds on all levels.

Now the bad news: If only there were tickets available for this gem. Martin's name alone spurred strong ticket sales, as did the play's previous popularity. The result is that Heller originally scheduled six shows for its 50-seat theater and has now sold out nine.

Our advice is to call the theater at 746-5065 and add your name to the waiting list in case someone cancels his or her ticket order.

Meadows has made "Lapin Agile" a triumph on all fronts, as the performances shine, the dialogue crackles, the period costuming by April Madden is superb and the set design renders the Heller stage virtually unrecognizable.

Heller is a black box theater that so often uses a table and a couple of chairs as pretty much the set that one is immediately struck upon seeing the Parisian bistro within, created believably with mustardy-colored paint rag-rolled on the walls for a Mediterranean feel and a paint job on the concrete floor that creates the illusion of a hardwood surface. It would have been simpler to put out the table and chairs as per normal, but this attention to detail is an example of the thoroughness that is prevalent in the performance we saw opening night on Thursday.

It's remarkable that winter weather almost pushed this production back a week because participants were occasionally stranded at home come rehearsal time. There's no evidence of any shortcomings here. Quite the opposite.

First off: Those attending "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" should not show up expecting to see one genius with an arrow through his head and the other clad in a King Tut get- up. But they should expect to laugh often and walk out wearing a smile.

Picasso and Einstein are certainly the stars here in the bistro as the two men debate the merits of art and science -- which Martin clearly sees in looking back as the two major achievements of the 20th century -- but other patrons also get their stage time to espouse ideas and, often, psychoanalyze everything and everyone.

The action here is all talk, and in the wrong hands this could easily have become an embarrassing, ego-driven star trip. But Martin's words are at times hilarious and breezy, at others profound and thoughtful. It's a treat.

Einstein and Picasso (Morgan Belcher and Jeff Murrin in impressive performances) are both young men in their 20s, but they are relatively moments away from creating their lasting fame: for Einstein, his Special Theory of Relativity; for Picasso, the move from his "blue" period to the "rose" period and his entry into the Cubist style of art. These are men who are thinking on different planes of consciousness, but who are fragile enough to admit that they use their gifts for everything from true inspiration to picking up women.

The two men also can recognize greatness in each other -- "I never thought the 20th century would be handed to me so casually," Einstein says as he first sees a Picasso drawing -- seeming to symbolize that we shouldn't look at art and science as in conflict with each other, but instead recognize the passion of all types of creation.

All this deep conversation is balanced out by much talk of man-woman relationships -- there are no geniuses on this point -- and plenty of absurdity, such as Einstein first introducing himself to a disbelieving bartender.

"Sorry, I'm not myself today," he says just before mussing his hands through his hair, riotously creating a frazzled image that our present-day sensibility can more easily asso ciate with the man and the myth.

The play is rich enough that it provides similar special moments for each cast member in this brilliant ensemble. All of the cast members are a joy, but special mention must be made of Keith Hahn, returning to the Tulsa stage after a lengthy hiatus, and Angi Triggs and Edward Sullivan, both newcomers and both fabulous.

Our two geniuses become a triumvirate late in the play when a visitor from the future -- think about who Martin might choose as another cultural hero of the last 100 years and you might guess it -- arrives at the bar as a messenger to propel our duo toward their greatness. Scott Heberling is a hilarious, hammy showman in this role.

That Martin mastered in the first of his plays a way to work both within and outside of the traditional boundaries of the stage certainly indicates that the comedian-actor-director should with confidence add playwright to his biography and bless us with further works.

"Picasso at the Lapin Agile" continues its run with sold-out performances 8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Wednesday-Friday and Jan. 20-21 at the Heller Theater, 5328 S. Wheeling Ave.

Michael Smith, World entertainment writer, can be reached at 581-8334 or via e-mail at michael.smith@tulsaworld.com.