Yale’s Off Broadway Theatre sold out all four performances from January 23 to 25 of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company. Co-directors AJ Walker, BK ’26 and Emiliano Cáceres-Manzano, BF ’26 led the production, which not only highlighted the depth of Yale’s theatrical talent but also demonstrated the Creative Performing Arts grant’s ability to support ambitious student work beyond the Yale Dramatic Association. Producer Abby Asmuth, JE ’26, and stage manager Maya Evans, SY ’27, along with their creative team, delivered a polished production that honored Sondheim and Furth’s work while working within the constraints of collegiate theater.
Company follows Bobby (Ben Heller, DC ’27), a 35-year-old grappling with the idea of marriage as he observes the highs and lows of his friends’ relationships. Throughout the show, we witness Bobby around his birthday as he visits four different couples, navigates relationships with three girlfriends, and seeks guidance from his older confidante, Joanne (Hannah Kurczeski, BR ’26), gradually opening his mind to the imperfect art of commitment. The unit set featured a simple apartment layout, evoking the New York City setting, while each scene was differentiated with lighting by designer Rhayna Poulin, MC ’25.
The show thrived on its outstanding production numbers and full orchestra pit, led by musical director and conductor Coco Ma, BF ’25. The show’s standout moment came in its most demanding number—“Getting Married Today”—when Amy (Sadie Pohl, SY ’26) unraveled into a panic attack as her wedding-day jitters channeled into a whirlwind of rapid-fire lyrics. Emily’s nerves were hilariously supported by her devoted fiancé Paul (Crawford Arnow, ES ’27) and priest (Emily Patrick, TD ’26). The ultimate Sondheim patter song jolts between the priest’s soaring soprano notes, Amy’s frantic meltdown—the closest thing musical theater had seen to rap until Lin-Manuel Miranda came onto the scene—and Paul’s Disney-prince-like confession of love for Amy. This number is one of the “Simone Biles” routines of musical theatre, requiring exceptional vocal agility and comedic timing. This trio stuck the landing.
Beyond her impressive vocals, Pohl delivered a performance that was both convincing and heartfelt. Arnow and Patrick grounded the number with warmth and humor, while the ensemble—adorably outfitted with parasols and sunglasses—added an extra layer of whimsical theatricality, perfectly capturing the eccentric moments of Company.
Given the show’s exploration of long-term relationships and marriage, the production grappled with an inherent challenge: how does a cast of college students authentically portray the depth and complexity of years-long marriages? At times, particularly in the scenes between individual couples, the chemistry felt underdeveloped. Moments that required the effortless familiarity or simmering tensions of established marriages often felt strained, with interactions coming across as more scripted rather than organic. This hesitation between actors, at times, diluted the intense marital dynamics needed to drive Bobby’s character arc in the show.
The production found its surest footing in numbers with a heightened theatrical style. In addition to “Getting Married Today,” standouts included Marta’s (Isabella Walther-Meade, BR ’25) New York City love song “Another Hundred People,” and the dream-like sequence “Side by Side” brought to life with playful kick-line choreography by Thomas Kannam, GH ’26, and Amara Neal, GH ’26, as well as matching pajamas and “I Love Bobby” shirts designed by Elizabeth Stanish, SY ’26.
Ultimately, Company’s exploration of married life still resonated with a collegiate crowd, proving that Sondheim’s insights into love and commitment transcend age. The cast’s fresh perspective, as college students who have yet to experience the mid-life crises of Bobby and his peers, brought a new dynamic to the tension between newfound independence and the desire for intimacy and connection. Under Walker and Cáceres-Manzano’s direction, Company reminds us of the importance of embracing vulnerability, fully engaging with the world around us, and “Being Alive”—especially during our fleeting four-ish years of college.
