A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Engaging Shaw

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  2w, 2m

John Morogiello

The hilarious true story of Irish playwright Bernard Shaw’s relationship with wealthy heiress Charlotte Payne-Townshend. According to her, “no man can resist a woman once she has set her sights upon him, unless thwarted by another woman.” But confirmed bachelor Shaw may prove to be more than she bargained for.

Engaging Shaw

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    2w, 2m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography, Period, Docudrama/Historic, Romantic Comedy
  • Suggested Use
    • Scene work
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary
He considered himself the superman. She allowed him to believe it. Engaging Shaw is the hilarious true story of Irish playwright Bernard Shaw’s relationship with wealthy heiress Charlotte Payne-Townshend. According to her, “no man can resist a woman once she has set her sights upon him, unless thwarted by another woman.” But confirmed bachelor Shaw may prove to be more than she bargained for. Can she romance an unromantic man? Can Shaw reconcile his intellectual theories with emotional reality?
History

Engaging Shaw was first presented by Langdon Brown at Old Castle Theatre Company, under Artistic Director Eric Peterson, in Bennington, Vermont, on August 20, 2006. It was directed by Mr. Brown. The play was subsequently presented Off Broadway by Abingdon Theatre Company at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre in New York City on April 18, 2010. It was directed by Jackob G. Hofmann.

Keywords
Performing Groups
SIDNEY WEBB - 38-40. Energetic, short, working class accent, lisp.
BEATRICE WEBB - 38-40. Sidney’s wife, upper class accent.
BERNARD SHAW - 40-42. An Irish music and drama critic who dabbles in playwriting.
CHARLOTTE PAYNE TOWNSHEND - 40-42. An heiress from Ireland.
  • Time Period 19th Century
  • Setting The drawing room of a cottage in Stratford, among other locations
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Not Applicable
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“Engaging Shaw is a charming romantic comedy featuring four razor-sharp tongues. If there’s a minute of the play that’s less than clever, you’ll be hard pressed to find it.” - Ken Jaworowski, The New York Times

"Exactly the type of work that nonprofit theaters dedicated to producing new plays and musicals should be doing - arresting, intellectually stimulating." - Stephen Wells, The New York Times

"Engaging Shaw is exactly that...a spirited and intelligent combat of words and sparkling banter." - Variety

“The play is written like one of [Shaw’s], with talk zipping in thrilling, dizzying circles. We know how the story ends before it's begun, but getting there - through spirited debate, heated emotion and the occasional flinty spark of desire - is thought-provoking fun.” - Los Angeles Times

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

John Morogiello

John Morogiello

John Morogiello is the Artistic Director of Best Medicine Rep Theater Company and a member of the Dramatists Guild. His comedy The Consul, The Tramp, and America's Sweetheart won the 2015 Julie Harris Playwright Award, the 2015 Dayton Playhouse FutureFest, and was a finalist ...

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