←Recommendations of Bedfellows

Much can (and should, and has) been said about the play's careful, successful depiction of a love story shaped by gender, class, trauma, and more. But what truly makes this script gripping is how richly drawn the bond between the women is – even as the relationship is doomed to end how it does, the audience never abandons their naive, adolescent hope that things might work out. The result is a story that feels just as sorrowful as it does inevitable, a Greek tragedy in Rococo wigs.

Beyond the decadent outfits and times of political unrest, this is at its core a story of two young women that are struggling to understand their place in the world. Two young women that deeply love each other but will always be separated by their social standing. I loved how this play allows these women to dream of a world outside of the strict boxes society has placed them. It broke my heart when I realized they could never escape them though. I loved the physicality of this play and how much was said in glances and embraces.

Bedfellows avoids so many of the pitfalls that often befall historical fiction, particularly that which means to explore queerness throughout history. Senese-Grossberg's dialogue is delightfully direct, without ever veering too anachronistic nor overbearingly period. A perfect middle ground. I was heavily invested in all the characters and their dynamics from start to finish.

Just had the pleasure of seeing this show at Limefest! Such a beautifully told story of two girls that still takes the time to find joy and light in their dire circumstances. Every single character had me rooting for them one scene and groaning inside the next. I'll be thinking about these bedfellows for a long time.

A whirlwind of wit and emotion, "Bedfellows" cuts sharply to the core. The intimate and intense relationship between Anne and Louise-Clothilde eschews an easy definition - watching the two dance around one another throughout the years (perfectly in sync even as they argue!) is deeply captivating. The web of intersecting themes - gender, class, identity, and many more - is handled deftly and skillfully, as the play beautifully refuses the luxury of comfortable resolutions. What a wonderful read!