Mrs. Warren's Profession

Written by George Bernard Shaw

Directed by Larry Schneider

Synopsis:

Young, Cambridge-educated Vivie Warren may be financially independent and live in considerable comfort, but it’s her independent spirit and joie de vivre that drive her to want to be a success in her own right. That sumptuous comfort is provided courtesy of her distant mother, Kitty, a rags-to-riches success in a secretive business who travels the world and has seen little of her daughter. When Mrs. Warren arrives for an infrequent visit and announces plans to renew her relationship with her daughter, Vivie uncovers more than she bargained for. One revelation after another creates twists and turns that upset the daily decorum of life for the highly principled and unsentimental Vivie. A supporting cast of scoundrels and scallywags provide the sparks that climax in a series of spectacular familial fireworks.

Background

Bernard Shaw (he despised the name George) was a man ahead of his time. He was an ardent supporter of women and steadfastly campaigned for equal pay and equal rights, including their right to vote. In his “author’s apology” for Mrs. Warren’s Profession, he openly acknowledged that he wrote the play on behalf of women everywhere: “I simply affirm that Mrs. Warren’s Profession is a play for women, that it was written for women...that the enthusiasm of women made its first performance excitingly successful, and that not one of these women had any inducement to support it except their belief in the timeliness and the power of the lesson the play teaches.”

With Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Shaw takes on social hypocrisy, injustice, and the generation gap head on. That he accomplishes this in a witty and provocative comedy that also boasts shocking, passionate drama is a testament to the Nobel laureate’s mastery of the spoken word.

It’s not surprising that this timeless comic jewel has attracted many of the great actors of our time. Elizabeth Ashley played Mrs. Warren at the Shakespeare Theater Company early in 2010. Later that year, Cherry Jones donned the title role in the Broadway revival along with Sally Hawkins as Vivie, Mrs. Warren’s independent daughter. In the 1976 Broadway production, Ruth Gordon played Mrs. Warren, Lynne Redgrave was nominated for a Tony award for her portrayal of Vivie, and Edward Hermann won the Tony award for his portrayal of the young scamp, Frank Gardner. Dana Ivey also took on the role of Kitty Warren in a 2005 production at the Irish Repertory Theater.

Nov. 18th - Dec. 10th, 2011
Friday & Saturday evenings at 8 pm
Sunday matinees:
Nov. 27th & Dec. 4th at 2 pm

TicketsAdults $24
Seniors (62) & Students $20

SEATING

Reviews

“Best of all, Shaw is funny, much funnier than his reputation allows. ...He gave Mrs. Warren a sharp tongue and provided a social-climbing cleric for everyone to harass. This mix of intelligence and political commitment with stinging humor seems to be working for Jon Stewart; it ought to be a boost for Shaw. For he didn’t just write this way, he lived this way, mixing sincerity, hyperbole, and satire to create a larger-than-life persona for himself.” —New York Times

“With its sharp and witty observations about sex and class, freedom and oppression and mothers and daughters, there’s plenty to recommend in George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession.” —New York Daily News

“George Bernard Shaw’s infamous play ... may be 117 years old, but its ideas still feel decidedly modern. —Backstage

“Mrs. Warren’s Profession marks Shaw’s first full-length play. It’s dominated by two formidable female characters. On top of that, it’s a robustly witty comedy that disdains the trappings of conventional society.” —The Mercury News

Our Cast
Mrs. Kitty Warren	Judith Kealey
Miss Vivie Warren	Jenny Gantwerker
Mr. Praed	Philip Cook
Sir George Crofts	Richard Zane Ross
Frank Gardner	Stephen Saxton
The Rev. Samuel Gardner	Pat Spaulding