Helltown Players Announce World Premiere of PORTRAITURE 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.
By: A.A. Cristi Apr. 15, 2025
Helltown Players will present the world premiereof 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, Portraiturefollows 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.
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 Producer/Dramaturge Jim Dalglish. “It's been thrilling to watch Margaret Van Sant develop this piece through readings and workshops.”
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.”
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.”
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