In a new collab with Soulpepper Theatre, Crow’s Theatre is staging a powerful and moving production of Tennessee Williams’s Summer and Smoke, anchored by a wonderful performance from Toronto actor bahia watson as Alma Winemiller. From the moment she steps on stage, watson commands attention, drawing the audience fully into Alma’s inner world with a presence that is both delicate and alive.
Set in a small Southern town during a sweltering summer, the play follows Alma, a minister’s daughter, as she grapples with her own desires amidst the strictures of social expectation. When her childhood crush, the reckless and intoxicating Dr. John Buchanan Jr. moves back home and next door, Alma’s life is thrown into emotional turmoil. As their paths cross and attraction builds, the play explores that longing contrasted with a sense of duty and propriety, tiptoeing along that delicate line. Tennessee Williams’ lyrical text captures the intensity of human desire and the pain of repression in a story that is both heartbreaking and deeply human.
It is also, most tragically, about synchronicity — about the moments that come and the ones that never do.
As Alma says, “We wait for the right moment, but sometimes it never comes.” And it is the performance of Alma, by bahia watson, that is a moment not to be missed.
What makes her performance so extraordinary is the depth and nuance she brings to every moment. Alma’s spiritual devotion and romantic longing exist in constant tension, and watson navigates this fragile balance with breathtaking precision. Every gesture, every glance, every subtle shift in posture or tone carries meaning. And this is not an easy text, this is rapid fire dialogue that requires serious timing. It is a performance that lingers in my mind long after the curtain falls, after a chatting ride home and firmly establishes watson as one of Toronto’s most compelling and fast-rising stage stars.
Acting opposite watson is no small challenge, yet Dan Mousseau holds his own as John Buchanan Jr., the reckless young doctor who becomes the object of Alma’s desire. He captures John’s charm, restlessness, and underlying volatility with confidence, creating a convincing counterpoint to Alma’s restraint. The tension between the two is immediate and alive, a careful balance of longing, hesitation, and unspoken desire. Their interactions feel urgent.
The rest of the case perform capably, but the success or failure of this production rests with watson. And the actor shines.
The staging is simple and functional, with a square, sparse set placed in the middle of the room and seating of varying proportions on all four sides. Actors enter and exit from all corners, creating intimacy and bringing the audience close to the action. The design keeps the focus squarely on the actors and the story, doing a solid job of highlighting their performances. Some entrances and exits could have been cleaner at times, including when a murder takes place in a dark corner where some in the audience are likely to have seen, but overall the staging serves its purpose effectively.
Summer and Smoke is a story about longing deferred and the space between who we are and who we allow ourselves to be. It’s a story and a production that sparks reflection and conversation, and it is highly recommended.
Summer and Smoke runs until March 8 at Crow’s Theatre.
