Spotting Shaw in Misalliance

by Kelsee Jackson, dramaturg [caption id="attachment_3947" align="alignright" width="214"]

George Bernard Shaw circa 1894. Photo from wikimedia.org.[/caption] Irish-born playwright George Bernard Shaw had strong opinions and experiences that changed his life. Many of these opinions and experiences show up in his various writings. Here's a brief look at how Shaw's personal views influenced Misalliance. Education George Bernard Shaw (who much preferred the name Bernard to George) completed his irregular schooling in his hometown of Dublin. While possessing an eager mind, he passionately despised organized training, which lead to his deep dislike for school. In Misalliance, Shaw's disdain for formal education shows through in Hypatia, the young daughter of the largely successful John Tarleton. When Hypatia cannot even be bothered with talk of her education, responding to inquiries with: HYPATIA. [gathering up her work] If you're going to talk about me and my education, I'm off. Parents and Children Shaw grew up in a complicated family. His father was said to be an alcoholic and a wife beater, causing his mother to move away to London when he was 16. Shaw stayed behind in Dublin with his father to finish his schooling. However, he did not get along with his father and by the time he was 20, he left Dublin for London and a reunion with his mother. Shaw's disconnect with his parents also influenced his writings. This conflict between parents and children is a central piece of the plot in Misalliance. The two older men in the play, Lord Summerhays and Mr. Tarleton, spend time contemplating the ins and outs of this complicated relationship. LORD SUMMERHAYS. Parents and children, Tarleton. TARLETON. Oh, the gulf that lies between them! the impassable, eternal gulf! Socialism By the time Shaw had moved to London with his mother, he started to develop views of socialism. He started speaking out on his opinions, an act with helped him get rid of his stutter. Shaw soon helped establish the Fabian Society, a program dedicated to making Britain a socialist nation by progressive legislation. He dedicated much of his time to this society, giving lectures and writing pamphlets. During the time of the play (1909), there were many thoughts regarding socialism. The influence of socialism and the people promoting it can be seen in Misalliance through Gunner, a poor citizen who hides in the Tarleton's Turkish Bath. Gunner (also known as Julius Baker) speaks openly about his socialistic views to the Tarleton family: GUNNER. [suddenly breaking out aggressively, being incapable of any middle way between submissiveness and violence] I can tell you where Hypatia is. I can tell you where Joey is. And I say it's a scandal and an infamy. If people only knew what goes on in this so-called respectable house it would be put a stop to. These are the morals of our pious capitalist class! This is your rotten bourgeoisie! This!— MRS TARLETON. Don't you dare use such language in company. I wont allow it. TARLETON. All right, Chickabiddy: it's not bad language: it's only Socialism. MRS TARLETON. Well, I wont have any Socialism in my house. While Misalliance was a comedy, Shaw was able to approach issues that were a big deal to him through the characters and their situations. He pokes fun at these issues and creates a funny show out of it. Many of these issues spread broadly over time and place, which is one reason we're still able enjoy it now!

References: http://www.english.upenn.edu/~cmazer/mis1.html http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1925/shaw-bio.html

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by Amelia Johnson, Dramaturg Creating a show is a process. Though the run of the show is over, there was a lot more that went into the show than what was seen in those few weeks. Months before the run, the production team began meetings. They discussed the director’s vision for the show and began planning designs. Everything was approved of and discussed before lights were set, sets, were built, and the costume and makeup designs were implemented. This year, the costume and makeup designers drew inspiration from the local artist, James Christensen. Having passed away earlier this year, director Dallyn Bayles thought it would be nice to pay tribute to him in this way. Costume designer Dennis Wright was thrilled to base his designs of Christensen's style. He said, “What I really love about Christensen’s work is the whimsy that he incorporates into his characters. His distinctive use of patterns, layers and silhouette is really fun and distinctive. I wanted to be sure to capture that in the costume designs for this production. “I love this show, and the concept and design choices our team has made. I am excited to share it with our audience. As a big James Christensen fan, my one regret is that I didn’t actually get to meet the artist in person. I just returned to Utah last year and sadly, missed my chance. I am very grateful to be able to pay tribute to him in this small way”. Makeup and hair designer Sarah Bult also shared some of her thoughts. “After reading the script I looked through as many James Christensen paintings as I could find. I picked out textures, colors, broke it all down and paired certain characters with those elements. His artwork influenced everything from the shape and colors of hair down to the detail on the bead work of the hairpins. I loved that I could draw my inspiration from his work and create something that really embodied his artwork." Bult continued, “One thing I didn’t expect to be a challenge was that not many Christensen pieces have hair showing. This created a very unique and fun challenge for me. I had to look many different paintings, combine textures and colors, and use my own design style to come up with fun fairy tale hair and makeup styles that were reminiscent of Christensen’s artwork. I am very excited to see how all of the elements come together”. Join us on the 4th Wall next time to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes!

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Last week, A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened in the Nelke Theatre and it was a great success! Eric and I were pleased to be a part of the opening night and celebrate not only the opening night of the production, but also the 40th anniversary of the Brigham Young University Young Company. In order to set the tone of the evening, patrons were encouraged to check out the lobby display that Eric and I had created for the show. We chose to do a puppet making station, aptly named “The Mechanicals Puppet Making Station” where guests and participants could make their own puppet out of a sock or paper bag. Other craft supplies were provided for the participants—allowing them to use their imagination and create a unique puppet that they could take home. Creating such a lobby display, we hoped to provide patrons, and especially children, with an opportunity to use their imagination and create something special, as well as connect with the style of the production before seeing the show. The role of puppetry is crucial to this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream—and we wanted to capture this and incorporate it whatever lobby display we chose. The actor’s hard work and rehearsal, as well as that of the production team, paid off—they did a marvelous job in telling the story of these loopy lovers and the adventures that take place in the magical forest. The puppetry skills and acting chops of the actors, the enchanting costumes, simple set design, and energy from the whole cast was thoroughly enjoyed by the very diverse and supportive audience. It was a packed house: if not sold out, very close. And this definitely contributed to the energetic feeling that pervaded the evening. Perhaps it was the presence of so many alumni from the Young Company that had come to support the production and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the formation of Young Company. Among the guests at the premier were Harold Oaks, founder of the BYU Young Company. Following the play, a presentation was made outlining and honoring the history and legacy of Young Company. Young Company has done an outstanding job for the last 40 years in providing quality theatre (adaptations and original works alike) for children that may not be exposed to the performing arts. A wonderful reception followed the presentation and was well enjoyed by cast and crew alike. A Midsummer Night’s Dream closes at BYU this Saturday, the 14th. Make sure to get your tickets soon and catch this unique production while you can! It will then go on tour throughout Northern Utah, presenting its whimsical and humorous message to elementary school children. Following are some images from the Opening Night Gala!

Spotting Shaw in Misalliance

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