The Mount Presents A Cultivated Friendship, A Staged Reading of a New Play Exploring Edith Wharton’s Unlikely Bond with Louis Bromfield
The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, will present A Cultivated Friendship, a staged reading that explores the complex relationship between Edith Wharton and Louis Bromfield, on Wednesday, September 10 at 5:00 PM in the Stable.
Set in 1930s Paris, A Cultivated Friendship brings to life the unlikely friendship between two American novelists. Edith Wharton was 34 years older than Louis Bromfield; she was an established member of the literary elite, while he was a progressive Midwestern farmer and writer of popular bestsellers; both were Pulitzer Prize winners. Though they held conflicting political views, the two expatriates formed a deeply personal bond rooted in shared interests—gardening, travel, writing, and restoring historic homes.
John Dennis Anderson and Karen Vuranch had both previously performed separate solo shows as Bromfield and Wharton, respectively. They were commissioned by Ashland Chautauqua in Ohio in 2021 to develop an online performance of Wharton and Bromfield’s letters, edited and published by Daniel Bratton. A Cultivated Friendship evolved out of that project and has been given readings in Truro, MA and Ashland, Ohio, near Bromfield’s Malabar Farm, now a state park. “We hope to see it performed eventually in a garden setting,” says Anderson, “but The Mount is our dream venue for it and we are excited to perform there.”
“As we researched, it was clear that there were scenes in between these letters. That got us imagining what Wharton and Bromfield were like when they were face to face,” Anderson says. “Karen and I were intrigued with the idea that Bromfield might have discovered a secret Wharton never revealed to him.”
Blending truth and imagination, the play captures the unique chemistry and intellectual intimacy of their friendship. The result is a compelling portrait of friendship that transcended differences.
The 75-minute performance will be followed by a Q&A with the actors. Tickets are $10 for Mount members and $15 for non-members and are available at edithwharton.org.
