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Stage Door News
Visiting the audience in the present day, Gertrude and Alice have come to find out how history has treated them. The couple recounts stories of their 40-year relationship, of meetings with iconic artists and writers, and of Alice’s overwhelming, consuming devotion to Gertrude’s genius. Before they leave, they want to find out what has become of their artistic and cultural influence, and how their lives and work are – or are not – remembered.
Conceived by The Independent Aunties, Gertrude and Alice was developed in the Buddies Residency Program, sponsored by BMO Financial Group - through this program, Buddies commissions and develops queer work over a one- to three-year period. Resident artists may include writers, theatre collectives, directors, performance artists, choreographers and other inter-disciplinary artists. Projects undertaken in residence can be new plays, explorations of existing texts, non-text-based performance, and everything in between.
Gertrude and Alice also features the work of acclaimed designers, with set and video design by Trevor Schwellnus, lighting design by Michelle Ramsay, costume design by Ming Wong, and sound design by Christopher Stanton.
ROSE IS A ROSE IS A ROSE
Gertrude Stein assumes the audience is here to talk about her. Alice B. Toklas assumes they’re attending to hear “about the paintings.” Still, they have just one question for their modern audience: do you even remember them?
Gertrude and Alice celebrates the partnership of queer feminist icons Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, leading the audience on a spirited romp through their lives, writing, queer identities, and yes, even the paintings.
REINVIGORATING INTEREST IN GROUNDBREAKING FEMALE VOICE
One of the most significant and contentious female voices in the 20th century, Gertrude Stein rose to international notoriety with her memoir The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas. She influenced a generation of artists and writers, but her own work remains hotly debated for its controversial and sometimes contradictory statements. Her genius, however, was unquestioned by her partner Alice Toklas, who dedicated her life to supporting the work of the woman she loved.
“When we first began to research Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, we quickly fell under the spell of this influential, eccentric early 20th century literary couple. They have come to provide a powerful inspiration for us as contemporary female artists, challenging us to dare to articulate the meaning(s) of their lives in the context of our own. We are eager to engage the Buddies audience in our investigation of legacy and ask what it means to be a transgressive female artist, a century after Gertrude and Alice changed the world with their own responses to that question.”
– Anna Chatterton, Evalyn Parry, Karin Randoja – The Independent Aunties
Gertrude and Alice was conceived and created by The Independent Aunties: a company dedicated to creating original theatrical work by and about women, delving into women’s societal roles, constraints and obsessions, both historically and contemporarily. Over the last thirteen years the Independent Aunties have created five highly acclaimed, original plays together – Buddies audiences will remember them from their 2006 production of Clean Irene and Dirty Maxine and 2010’s Dora-nominated production of Breakfast.
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents
GERTRUDE AND ALICE
conceived + created by THE INDEPENDENT AUNTIES
directed + dramaturged by KARIN RANDOJA
written + performed by ANNA CHATTERTON + EVALYN PARRY with additional text by GERTRUDE STEIN + ALICE B TOLKAS
set + video design TREVOR SCHWELLNUS
lighting design MICHELLE RAMSAY
costume design MING WONG
sound designer CHRISTOPHER STANTON
Previews: March 5 - 9
Opening Night: March 10 | Closing Night: March 27
Runs: Tues-Sat 8pm, Sun 2:30pm | All previews at 8pm
Tickets: PWYC - $37
Box Office: 416-975-8555 or buddiesinbadtimes.com
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street, Toronto ON
Photo: Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in the 1930s.
2016-02-04
Toronto: Buddies in Bad Times presents "Gertrude and Alice" March 5-27