Beckett’s 1979 novella “Company,” conceived and performed by the multifaceted Valerie McCann, challenges the speaker, the listener and the narrator, on all sides. Presented through special arrangement with Georges Borchardt, Inc. on behalf of the Estate of Samuel Beckett, Typewriters Anonymous, the tucked away Arts Lofts at the Brewery presented this adventure on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Welcoming, as if like old friends— scholars, movement experts, wandering insomniacs and the curious were greeted equally. We were directed into the antechamber dotted with antique typewriters of various colors on pedestals lit with diffused spotlights to emphasize the writing purpose of the group.
Valerie McCann in “Devising it all for Company” – Photo by Heather Seybolt.
Through the curtain, and into the black box theatre; darkness, with a single diffused spotlight, set just off center, gave a hint of the evening. The audience, limited in size, was allowed the comfort of lying or sitting on large round pillows or chairs, or standing…even moving throughout.
Settling in, a tall slim body, shaved head, in light grey draped pajamas, accentuated the moonlit ambience. At first lying, then rising into the light, one could not shake how this version brought to mind the 1928 silent film “The Passion of Joan of Arc” juxtaposed against concentration camp photos of inner agony transcended.
Valerie McCann in “Devising it all for Company” – Photo by Heather Seybolt.
Company, by Beckett, is done most often with a singular unmoving body affixed to the words, ideas and images of scattered unfinished stories experienced in the dark, in the night. However, with McCann it has found a new invention that holds attention for nearly two hours with sense driven movement and words.
Her full commitment to her task of honoring Beckett’s words and intention in a new way created effortless fascination. The piece, as a ritual, seemed to call for attention that countered the unexpected bursts of voice and action, and with full reverence, called only for attention.
Valerie McCann in “Devising it all for Company” – Photo by Heather Seybolt.
McCann’s voice, sometimes soto voce, sometimes haunting with warning, sometimes with bursts of tone seemed not to belong to her person. It flowered with a kind of musicality that proved supple, in some cases frightening…a kind of warning of a sleepless night, and what it will bring in its feeling of aloneness.
McCann played the symphony of Beckett’s words, sometimes stretched, at other times machine-gun quick, and countered her body movement. Often, she appeared the puppet master, at moments moving into positions nearly foreign, or air-born and lifted as though with a giant hand. Then back to a simple walk or standing position with an other-worldly voice, that came from an unknown mystical place.
Valerie McCann in “Devising it all for Company” – Photo by Raquel Bell.
McCann’s passion, interests and training span her collaboration with artists across the US, UK and EU and bridged her interest in classic text and postmodern choreography. Her experience, enhanced by her yogic discipline, clearly focuses her passion and intellect for theatre and movement. Strongly rooted in Mary Overlie’s non-hierarchical Six Viewpoints materials (Space Shape Time Emotion Movement Story) — and Deborah Hay’s mentorship, McCann was inspired to create her own solo performances.
The development of the piece was assisted over some years with the help of London Performance Studios and New Theater Hollywood with CultureHub LA residency (Raquel Bell and Jared Marshall-Galecstasy). Jeanine Durning added dramaturgical research expertise.
Valerie McCann in “Devising it all for Company” – Photo by Raquel Bell.
Beckett is known for instigating questions, McCann adds to the complexity. Never apologizing, working with nearly impossible endurance and commitment, she has added a new light to the masterful simplicity of his words, yet with infinite possibilities.
This immersive experience intrigued, with hope not to miss any nuance between word, singular relationship, hope for peace and letting go. It challenged and played back as it danced across the mind in the dark…in the night.
For more info: https://www.typewritersanonymous.com/calendar/devising-it-all-for-company-46483-w2rs5-z2yg
Written by Joanne DiVito for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Valerie McCann in “Devising it all for Company” – Photo by Heather Seybolt.
