Portraiture - A World Premiere by Margaret Van Sant
Two Cape Cod Venues: Cape Cod Museum of Art & Cotuit Center for the Arts
Helltown Players is proud to present the world premiere of Portraiture, a sharp, witty, and thought-provoking new play written and directed by Margaret Van Sant. The production opens April 24 at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis and continues with a second run in May at Cotuit Center for the Arts.
Set in the Rare Reading Room of Yale’s Beinecke Library, Portraiture follows Sylvia Santos, an art historian leading a tour when she enters a gallery showcasing portraits of three legendary women—Gertrude Stein (painted by Francis Picabia), Alice B. Toklas (painted by Dora Maar), and Mabel Dodge Luhan (painted by Mary Foote). As Sylvia unpacks their legacies, unexpected questions arise—and history proves anything but silent.
As the play’s tagline reads:
"Three legendary women shaped history. Now they demand a rewrite."
Performance Details
Cape Cod Museum of Art (D’Alessandro Auditorium)
60 Hope Lane, Dennis, MA 02638
May 2 (Fri.) at 7:30 PM
May 3 (Sat.) at 2:00PM and 7:30PM
May 4 (Sun.) at 2:00 PM
Tickets: $28.00 – $34.00
https://www.ccmoa.org/events/helltown-players-portraiture
Cotuit Center for the Arts (Sigel Black Box Theater)
4404 Falmouth Rd, Cotuit, MA 02635
May 22–24 (Thurs.–Sat.) at 7:00 PM
May 29–31 (Thurs.–Sat.) at 7:00 PM
June 1 (Sun.) at 1:30 PM
Tickets: $15.00 – $50.00
https://cotuit.org/explore/portraiture-2025
Creative Team
Margaret Van Sant – Playwright & Director
Jim Dalglish – Dramaturge / Producer
John Killwey – Set Design & Construction
Caitlin Nicholson – Lighting Design / Stage Manager
Tami Trask – Costume Design
Cast
Kristin Stewart as Sylvia Santos
Kathleen Larson Day as Gertrude Stein
Karen McPherson as Alice B. Toklas
Anna Botsford as Mabel Dodge Luhan
A Collaboration Across Art Forms
Portraiture is presented in partnership with Cape Cod Museum of Art and Cotuit Center for the Arts, underscoring Helltown Players’ commitment to producing bold, original work by Cape Cod playwrights.
“This is what Helltown Players is all about—supporting local playwrights by producing their plays,” says dramaturge/producer Jim Dalglish. “It’s been thrilling to watch Margaret Van Sant develop this piece through readings and workshops.”
Play Origins
Van Sant, a seasoned playwright, shares the inspiration behind the play:
“The first time I learned about Mabel Dodge Luhan was during a stay at her estate in Taos, New Mexico. Her relationships with artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Ansel Adams, Willa Cather, and D.H. Lawrence fascinated me. But what surprised me was her tempestuous friendship with Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.”
“Years later, while I was visiting the Yale Beinecke Library to do research, I saw the three portraits—Gertrude, Alice, and Mabel—hung together, with Mabel between the other two. I knew immediately how much Gertrude and Alice would have hated that arrangement. And that moment was the birth of this play.”
“I am just overjoyed with this cast of actors. Their instincts for these characters are spot on and their dedication to studying these revolutionary women and their impact on the art world is inspiring.”
Partnership
The Cape Cod Museum of Art will present Portraiture in conjunction with its exhibit, She Said: A Docent-Curated Exhibition Celebrating Women Artists from the CCMoA Permanent Collection. According to Dalglish, “Benton Jones, Joyce Groemmer, and Erica Strzepek welcomed us with open arms. It's exciting to bring theatre into a museum context, especially one that’s already celebrating women’s voices.”
Images used with the permission of the Yale University Library.
