Sexual Identity in Company, 1969–2019

Abstract

Drawing on manuscript study, the chapter documents in detail Sondheim’s role in shaping the multiple versions of the script of Company, focusing particularly on issues of sexuality in the construction of character and plot. It reveals the centrality of Sondheim’s vision to the dramaturgical development process in his collaboration with George Furth and Hal Prince. It also details the changes to the show that have been made with Sondheim’s sanction over the course of the past five decades. The chapter focuses on how the representation of the central character’s (Robert’s) sexuality evolved through the numerous drafts and subsequent productions.