Edfringe 2025:The Marriage of Toklas B by Gertrude Stein

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

The first thing that struck me was how closely the two lead actors resembled the historical figures they portrayed. It wasn’t just the hair, clothing, or body shape—it was the soul. I suddenly recalled photographs of Gertrude and Toklas I've seen in some magazines—and there they were, walking through the audience, entering the stage to the sound of jazz from the golden era. Even just their silhouettes from behind were striking. And when they turned around—wow.

I imagine the playwright must be a true fan of that era. The two characters not only resembled Stein and Toklas physically, but also frequently echoed Stein’s unique writing style. Famous lines like “A rose is a rose is a rose” made an appearance, as well as lesser-known ones like “Every day is gay”—a word loaded with both joy and sapphic subtext. Toklas’s well-known quote, “I have known only three geniuses in my life...”, was also included. The research into their lives and speech patterns was thorough and respectful.

Their dialogue, filled with rhythmic repetition and looping phrases, felt like an ode to late Gertrude Stein, whose writing is known for its repetition. Meanwhile, the play didn’t just bring Stein and Toklas to life—it also brought in the others: Gertrude’s brother, Picasso, Hemingway, and their wives. All characters were portrayed with a sharp irony. In one brilliant scene, Picasso and Gertrude discuss art in voices that are muted. Toklas walks to the centre stage and says, “It’s hard to understand their genius talk, so let me tell you about my dream last night.”

The relationship between Stein and Toklas was also cleverly explored. Their partnership was nontraditional in appearance, yet its nature was conventional. Toklas was “the wife,” while Gertrude played “the husband.” They even hosted guests in separate rooms. The artist husbands—Picasso, Hemingway, and others—were portrayed as self-absorbed, mumbling pseudo-philosophers who talked endlessly about art and life but seemed to care only about their own perceived genius. Meanwhile, the wives of geniuses discuss their husbands’ favourite dishes and drinks—a subtle but cutting commentary on how the “wives of important men” have historically been imagined and sidelined.

Overall, the show isn’t specifically about a lesbian relationship—except in the final scene, when Toklas complains that Gertrude’s art collection was looted by her relatives, art meant for Toklas to sell and support herself in later years. Aside from that one scene highlighting how an unprotected same-sex partnership can lead to financial vulnerability, the rest of the play focuses on the merging identities of wives and husbands. It is a cartoonish portrait of America’s Golden Age, which I found delightfully absurd. Though the sex scene between the two women felt a little uncomfortable to me, the show, at its core, isn’t about lesbianism. The show is essentially a nostalgic, Woody Allen–style comedy—think Midnight in Paris.