THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION, full-length play for 5 Women

by Arianna Rose

[full-length play] Sisters Etta and Claribel Cone, long dead, materialize at the unveiling of the million dollar renovation of their renowned Cone Collection at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Old friend Gertrude Stein and her paramour Alice Toklas pop up uninvited, much to Etta’s dismay. As tensions grow between the four, they resolve to recreate their stories in an effort to uncover the truth. Etta struggles...

[full-length play] Sisters Etta and Claribel Cone, long dead, materialize at the unveiling of the million dollar renovation of their renowned Cone Collection at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Old friend Gertrude Stein and her paramour Alice Toklas pop up uninvited, much to Etta’s dismay. As tensions grow between the four, they resolve to recreate their stories in an effort to uncover the truth. Etta struggles with her feelings for Gertrude and her modern art proclivities, at direct odds with her Victorian mores. Through a series of evocative vignettes, we are transported back to Baltimore, Paris and Italy at the turn of the century. We learn what happened to derail the friendships and suspected affair between Etta and Gertrude, and how Gertrude and Alice came to be. At its heart, THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION is about learning the lessons of your life, a tribute to feminism, and defiance in a time when women were expected to be heterosexual homemakers.

[Zoom Reading, The Depot, Connecticut, January 2024]
[Workshop Production, Femuscripts Inc., Miami and Boca Raton, FL September 2023]
[Online Reading, Just Write! Lakeland (FL), February 2023]
[Online Reading, VS Theatre Company, Los Angeles, CA 2022]
[Online Reading, The Playwrights Center, Minneapolis MN 2022]
[Finalist, Alumnae Theatre Fireworks Festival 2023, Toronto Canada]
[Shortlist finalist, Garry Marshall Theatre New Reading Series 2022, Los Angeles CA]
[Online Workshop & Reading, Playwrights Center of Minneapolis, July 2022]
[Reading, Miami-Dade Playwright Development Program, Miami FL March 2022]
[Online Reading, Finstrom Festival of New Works, Zoetic Stage, Miami, June 2021]
[shortlist, Garry Marshall Theatre New Reading Series 2021, Los Angeles CA]
[Top Ten finalist, Charles M. Getchell New Play Contest, SETC, 2021]
[Top Three finalist, Del Shores Foundation 2021 Playwriting Competition]
[semi-finalist, Fulton Theatre, 2020, PA]

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THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION, full-length play for 5 Women

Recommended by

  • Donald Loftus: THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION, full-length play for 5 Women by Arianna Rose
    “

    The Equivalent of Sensation by Arianna Rose is a richly imaginative and intellectually vibrant play that brings historical figures to life with wit, elegance, and emotional depth. Blending art, memory, and identity, it explores female ambition, rivalry, and longing with striking theatricality. The dialogue is sharp, the structure inventive, and the themes resonate powerfully, making for a visually and emotionally compelling theatrical experience.

    The Equivalent of Sensation by Arianna Rose is a richly imaginative and intellectually vibrant play that brings historical figures to life with wit, elegance, and emotional depth. Blending art, memory, and identity, it explores female ambition, rivalry, and longing with striking theatricality. The dialogue is sharp, the structure inventive, and the themes resonate powerfully, making for a visually and emotionally compelling theatrical experience.

    ”
  • Tom Erb: THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION, full-length play for 5 Women by Arianna Rose
    “

    Arianna Rose’s “The Equivalent of Sensation” is a masterful play that brings to life the art world’s vibrancy through sharp dialogue and robust character development. The plot navigates through time with ease, offering a whimsical and profound tone. The theme of art as a reflection of life is clear and thought-provoking. The dialogue is fluid and evocative, making the historical journey of Etta Cone and her contemporaries accessible and deeply moving. It’s a rich, imaginative experience highly recommended for creative storytelling. Would love to see this staged.

    Arianna Rose’s “The Equivalent of Sensation” is a masterful play that brings to life the art world’s vibrancy through sharp dialogue and robust character development. The plot navigates through time with ease, offering a whimsical and profound tone. The theme of art as a reflection of life is clear and thought-provoking. The dialogue is fluid and evocative, making the historical journey of Etta Cone and her contemporaries accessible and deeply moving. It’s a rich, imaginative experience highly recommended for creative storytelling. Would love to see this staged.

    ”
  • The Depot for New Play Readings: THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION, full-length play for 5 Women by Arianna Rose
    “

    In “The Equivalent of Sensation,” Arianna Rose uses simple props and witty repartee to take the audience on a furious journey from staid Baltimore to the avant-garde salons of Paris, evoking ocean liners, trolleys, WWI ambulances, bats and dogs and cannabis-laced brownies along the way. Reminiscent of Harpo Marx’s comedy, Rose’s imaginative staging focuses on Etta Cone, an early 20th-century art collector. Called back from death, Etta has one night to review her life and discover whether she ever truly lived. The play is both fun and poignant, and a great vehicle for older women actors...

    In “The Equivalent of Sensation,” Arianna Rose uses simple props and witty repartee to take the audience on a furious journey from staid Baltimore to the avant-garde salons of Paris, evoking ocean liners, trolleys, WWI ambulances, bats and dogs and cannabis-laced brownies along the way. Reminiscent of Harpo Marx’s comedy, Rose’s imaginative staging focuses on Etta Cone, an early 20th-century art collector. Called back from death, Etta has one night to review her life and discover whether she ever truly lived. The play is both fun and poignant, and a great vehicle for older women actors. Strongly recommended.

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    ”
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Character Information

While the women portrayed were Caucasian, this story is written for everyone and the casting should reflect the diversity in our culture.
  • Etta Cone
    woman, 30s+, timid, subservient to older sister Claribel. Household Manager, future Art Collector. Repressed, finds her path through the study and collecting of art and textiles. Loves lace, piano, flowers, family. Her looks are plain. Her figure buried under layers of petticoats and a black skirt, white blouse.
    30s-60s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Claribel Cone
    woman, 30s+, “the Empress”, Research Doctor, Public Speaker, Art Collector, charismatic, imperious, austere, demanding. A handsome and imposing woman. Petticoats and black skirt, white or black blouse. Often wore a black velvet cape with purple lining
    30s-60s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Gertrude Stein
    woman, 30s+, charismatic, outspoken, melodic voice, Writer and Art Collector. Large in every sense of the word. Flouts conventions and dresses for comfort; bohemian.
    30s-60s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Alice B. Toklas
    woman, 30s+, quiet, determined, jealous streak, writer, lover of music, flowers, cooking, life partner of Gertrude Stein. Always dressed well, wears a succession of fabulous hats, often wears sandals instead of shoes. She also plays Basket the Dog in one scene.
    30s-60s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s,
      50s,
      60s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman
  • Odalisque ("Standing Odalisque Reflected in a Mirror", Henri Matisse, 1923)
    (non-verbal) Woman, dancer. Sensuous. Represents the “Standing Odalisque Reflected in a Mirror” by Henri Matisse, 1923. Cone Collection.
    20s-40s
    Any
    Female
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Woman

Development History

  • Reading, Just Write Lakeland, Lakeland FL, 2023
  • Reading, Playwrights Center of Minneapolis, 2022
  • Reading, V.S. Theatre Company, Los Angeles, 2022
  • Reading, Playwright Development Program, Miami FL, 2022
  • Reading, Finstrom Festival, Zoetic Stage, Miami FL, 2021

Production History

  • Community Theater, Femuscripts Inc. - Workshop production, 2023

Awards

  • Miami Metro Awards for Best New Play
    Broadway World
    Finalist
    2023
  • New Works Festival
    Garry Marshall Theatre, Los Angeles CA
    Semi-Finalist
    2021
  • New Works Theatre Festival
    Garry Marshall Theatre, Los Angeles CA
    Semi-Finalist
    2022
  • "Bloom" Reading Series
    Stay True Theatre Company NYC
    Finalist
    2021
  • Playwriting Competition
    Del Shores Foundation
    Finalist
    2021
  • Fireworks Festival
    Alumnae Theatre, Toronto CAN
    Finalist
    2024
  • Charles M. Getchell New Play Contest
    SETC Region
    Finalist
    2021