Objects on the canvas are presented not as they literally are, but as they are perceived through the filter of both artist and beholder. The objects exist as surely as words on a page, but attempting to define that existence is subjective tomfoolery.
That might also describe the elliptical prose and poetry of Gertrude B. Stein (1874-1946), which varied in complexity from Nietzsche to Dr. Seuss. The American expatriate played with structure, toyed with time, dabbled with puns and ran her pen across the page in bold, non-linear strokes.
From “A rose is a rose is a rose” to “A painter should paint with his ears,” Stein brought word games to life, even though often they were conundrums with no absolute interpretation.
Somehow, Denver playwright Melissa Lucero McCarl has managed to present Stein and lifetime lover Alice B. Toklas in the same playful context.
Her first act begins with a death and ends with a prologue. Astonishing actors Billie McBride and Erica Sarzin-Borrillo trade roles. Interchangeable scenes are nonsensically numbered Negative Two, 456, Roman Numeral Five and Infinity. The script, like Stein’s body of work, celebrates the endless possibilities of language.
And yet, true to Toklas, the companion who strived to give the world an accessible window into Stein’s strange intellect, there is also a concerted effort here to tell her enigmatic story in a coherent way.
The result is a sprawling, two-person play that is intellectually stimulating and emotionally sophisticated. It is disarmingly funny and most surprisingly, quite sensual (bring a fan).
The play, in its world premiere at the Mizel Center, begins with McBride playing Stein at her death, with Sarzin-Borrillo her grieving handmaiden. The sentimental tone is cleverly snapped when the dead woman rises to protest, “This is far too linear and maudlin for the first scene!”
This evening, we deduce, will consist of Stein writing the story of her life, and so there can be no order to it. But thankfully Toklas defends the audience: “These people want a story, not theory.” The resulting narrative becomes a linguistic dance between two storytelling forms.
In snippets we learn the relevant biographical facts. We are told of Stein’s salon, which drew James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound and F. Scott Fitzgerald to her Paris home. We hear Stein praise artists C zanne, Matisse and Picasso. Fun tangents cover how critics responded to Stein’s work, her opera and her lecture tour of America.
But what gives “Irritations” its poignancy is its simple depiction of a sweet love story between a genius and a saint.
McCarl’s greatest artistic risk is having her first act culminate with each actor transforming into the role played by the other. It makes for a beautiful theatrical moment realized not through silly special effects but by the magic of Stein’s own elliptical words: “I in you; you are me.” This inspiration is perfectly consistent with how her poetry offered reordered perspectives on things.
It is daring in a playgoing context only because the incomparable McBride has established a searing replication of the stocky and gruff Stein, while Sarzin-Borrillo’s endearing Toklas is a tender mercy.
Director Steve Wilson’s intent is not for one actor to simply mimic the other’s previous performance; rather it is to introduce two new sides of the same characters. From a cubist point of view, this is a kind of character exponentiation at work: There is the two as they were perceived by the public, the two as seen by friends, the two as the playwright came to know them, the two known only unto them. Which two are real? “One sees what one sees.” Picasso would be proud.
If there is a regret, it’s that the play runs far too long, and the bulk of the dialogue is direct exposition aimed at the audience. That undercuts the dramatic potential of interaction.
It should be noted that Stein wrote all her poems in the present tense, so a play primarily consisting of these two women simply telling us tales of their past is a bit incongruous. The next phase of McCarl’s development should be to concentrate on character interaction, which would result in more complex writing and a more interesting theatrical experience.
“Poignant Irritations” is a testament to good research; it’s not far from being great theater. It may not all quite make sense, but as Stein would say: “That’s the point.”
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-820-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
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“Poignant Irritations”
DRAMA|Mizel Center Theatre Company, 350 S. Dahlia St.|Written by Melissa Lucero McCarl|Directed by Steve Wilson|Starring Billie McBride and Erica Sarzin-Borrillo|THROUGH MAY 22|8 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. May 8 and May 15; 7 p.m. May 8 and 15|2 hours, 20 minutes |$18-$20|303-316-6360
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“KIMBERLY AKIMBO” Boulder’s Nomad Theatre is staging the Colorado premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire’s quirky comedy about a New Jersey teen whose body ages faster than it should. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays through June 4, and 2 p.m. May 8, 15 and 22. Tickets $18-$20 (303-684-3140).
“EXTREMITIES” William Mastrosimone’s sexual-assault drama is being presented in Fort Collins by openstage etc. as part of Rape Awareness Month. 8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays through May 14, and 2 p.m. May 15 at the Armstrong Hotel, 259 S. College Ave. Tickets $10 (970-484-5237).
“WORKINGSTAGES” The Denver Center Theatre Company’s new-play program presents
“Garbo in My Eyes” and “Slabtown,” in the Ricketson and Jones theaters. Through May 14. Free. 303-893-4100.
-John Moore
