It’s a hot July day in the town of Glorious Hill, and passions are running as high as the temperature when young Johnny Buchanan returns to town. Tennessee Williams’ Summer and Smoke brings the heat in more ways than one, as it tells the tumultuous love story of Alma Winemiller and her childhood sweetheart John Buchanan Jr. Directed by Paolo Santalucia and starring bahia watson and Dan Mousseau, Summer and Smokeis a whirlwind of emotions blown in with the gulf breezes.

Spanish moss dangles from the ceiling, as does the figure of a stone angel, dangling above benches set up as a fountain. Lorenzo Savoini has engulfed the audience in the lush parks of the deep south, with green hues and the buzz of summer. The Guloien Theatre has once again been transformed to present Summer and Smokein the round, which has both its benefits and drawbacks. While it certainly evokes the courtyards of southern architecture and allows for a closeness and intimacy which befits the play, it also means that there’s time where the main character’s faces can’t be seen by the whole audience; and if they’re sitting still, this can go on for some time. Though I love a theatre-in-the-round set up, there were times where the actors were supposed to be able to be seen through a curtain, yet because of the seating they were mostly hidden from view. However, I did enjoy the live instruments which were used for both sound effects and music throughout the performance and were tucked away in the corners. Ming Wong 黄慧明’s costume designs likewise embody the hot, sunny south with white linens and short-sleeved dress shirts being some favourites. Seeing the fashions change also alerts the audience to the change in seasons as summer does eventually turn to fall.

Summer and Smoke certainly feels like a quintessential Tennessee Williams play: questions of propriety, morals, and purpose abound amidst the stifling heat and societal pressures. As a minister’s daughter with extra responsibilities at home, Alma finds herself subject to these more than her neighbour, Johnny. While he’s gone off to school and become a doctor like his father before him, Alma has become a music teacher while also having to fulfill her invalid mother’s obligations at the church. Johnny’s return to Glorious Hill reignites the flame for Alma, and while it seems at first that Johnny is likewise interested in her, his rakish ways are seemingly too ingrained for him to overcome, even for someone who he worships as much as he does Alma. But when she intervenes in his debauchery one fateful night, their lives will be irrevocably changed.

Any time I get to experience a work for the first time I find it compelling; especially when those are known quantities like a Tennessee Williams play. Having studied and seen some of his other works, there was a familiarity to Summer and Smokewhich I enjoyed. Yet I found myself leaving the theatre dissapointed; not in the production itself, but in the direction the text takes. The two characters essentially swap places, with John finding himself and Alma becoming everything she’s ever disliked, and I found that wildly unsatisfying. Why would John better himself if not for Alma? And when Alma not only agrees to be with him but is willing to give herself more freely than before he denies her – it simply didn’t make sense to me. I suppose this is where the tragedy lies, not in physical death (though we get some of that too), but in the death of the self; they became new people for one another not realizing that the other had done the same.

Summer and Smokeis a marathon of a play, and bahia watson’s endurance and stamina to be on stage for the vast majority of the play is impressive. Her Alma is sweet and proper, and while I wish there had been more of an obvious change towards the end of the play, watson gives such a stellar performance that I find myself in awe of her yet again. Dan Mousseau plays the cad beautifully, and he gives John just enough sentimentality that when he comes home a changed man, you truly hope it’s for real. Amy Rutherford’s Mrs. Winemiller (Alma’s ill mother) and Mrs. Bassett (a busybody) were each unhinged in their own ways – every time Rutherford came on stage I was excited to find out what kind of chaos would follow! Bella Reyes plays several characters, most notably Rosa Gonzales, Johnny’s other love interest. Her ability to change so effortlessly and entirely between them is dazzling. Beau Dixon’s Mr. Winemiller and Papa Gonzales were each terrifying in their own ways, and he has an undeniable presence on stage. Stuart Hughes plays a thoughtful and caring Dr. Buchanan. Kaleb Horn’s Roger, amongst his other characters, is a perfect foil for Johnny.

Escape the frigid winter and feel that Gulf wind blow with Summer and Smoke. You can tell why Crow’s Theatre was excited to have this production as their centrepiece for the season; with stellar acting and a compelling script, Summer and Smokeis unforgettable.

Summer and Smokeruns in the Guloien Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest until March 8. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.crowstheatre.com/shows-events/summer-and-smoke

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Cover Photo: Dan Mousseau, bahia watson in SUMMER & SMOKE by Tennessee Williams, Directed by Paolo Santalucia, (2025). Set & Lighting Design by Lorenzo Savoini, Costume Design by Ming Wong. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

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