GERTRUDE STEIN AND A COMPANION. By Win Wells. With Shirley Johnston and Lynita Crofford. Directed by Chris Weare. Theatre on the Bay.
KAREN RUTTER comments
Gertrude Stein and a Companion is an extraordinary piece of intimate, and ultimately joyful, theatre, which celebrates the lifelong relationship between two unconventional souls. Personally, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it before – there are have been several seasons of the play, starting out at the old Alexander Bar and moving to a variety of venues since. Finally, I watched it this week at the Theatre on the Bay, and was softly moved by the sensitivity of the script, the deft hand of the director, the virtuosity of the actors – and the spirit of the central characters.
Author Gertrude Stein exchanged her home country, America, for a more progressive Paris in the early 1900s, and ended up staying there. She was joined by her “companion” Alice B. Toklas, and the two became lifelong partners. Alice as “companion” was a description coined by Ernest Hemingway, probably because of the two, Gertrude had the more public profile. But as the play reveals, Alice was so much more than this passive nickname implies – partner, protector, publisher, lover and lastly, survivor. As a couple, they were formidable.
A salon for the like-minded
And clearly a lot of fun, too – living in bohemian Paris, surrounded by writers like Hemingway and artists such as Picasso, in an apartment decorated with works by Matisse and more, the two women were at the core of an intellectual, creative community, their home a salon for the like-minded.
The play starts at the end, as such – Gertrude has just died. And then it spools back and forth, to the beginning of their relationship, to vignettes from their shared life, to highs (literally) and to lows. It’s a complex and clever way to compact a remarkable story into one hour.
I can’t remember when I enjoyed a two-hander so much, with performances by two actors at the top of their game. Everything, from the direction to the stylishly appropriate set and sound, worked. I can seriously recommend the play. If you miss it this time around – watch out for the next run.
What: Gertrude Stein and a Companion
Where and when: Theatre on the Bay from 1 to 5 February 2022
Book: Computicket
WS
