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Misalliance  By  cover art

Misalliance

By: George Bernard Shaw
Narrated by: full cast
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Editorial reviews

Shaw's 1909 country-house comedy explores the clash of social classes when an aristocratic Edwardian wishes to marry the daughter of a bourgeois underwear tycoon. In this pleasant production, the acting is consistently fine, with Roger Rees, Victoria Tennant, Serena Scott Thomas, Eric Stoltz, and others forming a polished ensemble. The abridged version of the original text, while wisely leaving out some arcane references, at other times cuts too deeply into some speeches. Allowing the play to run more closely to two hours likely would have preserved more verbal richness without losing the fizz created by the wonderful cast.

Publisher's summary

Taking place on a single day in May 1909, a self-made millionaire and his family invite their future nobleman-in-law for a visit to their estate in Surrey, England. In this delightfully clever play, issues of gender, class, politics, and family are all targets for Shaw's keen wit.

Starring (in alphabetical order):

Tom Beyer as Bentley Summerhays
Joy Gregory as Hypatia
Roger Rees as Lord Summerhays
Serena Scott Thomas as Lina Szczepanowska
W. Morgan Sheppard as Mr. Tarleton
Eric Stoltz as Johnny Tarleton
Victoria Tennant as Mrs. Tarleton
Tegan West as Joey Percival
Douglas Weston as Guner/Julius Baker
(P)2004 L.A. Theatre Works

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MISALLIANCE is Shaw Light & Fun

I saw this show at the Repertory Theatre of St.Louis when I was in high school some 30+ years ago & it helped inspire me as an actor. It was so fun & witty & when I read more Shaw in college as a theatre major I was surprised to see how heavy handed he could be as compared to this with its light but insightful & funny commentary on class, socialism, new money VS old money, masculinity, relationships & other issues. It’s almost as if he was challenging or channeling Wilde in this show. The visual humor of the character who hides in the Turkish bath & overhears things and spectacle of the end of the first act is lost of course in this Audio version, but the cast is impeccable & gets to the light heart of the play. Glad I could revisit it this way and be reminded of how it captured & inspired me when I was younger.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

fun

Well done. This is less heavy-handed in its social commentary than much Shaw. The send-ups are funny. The audio is very well done and helps you visualize the play and the characters.

Not serious in many ways (kind of like Wilde in being very clever about serious subjects). Women's rights, social climbing and privilege, the self-righteousness of the lower classes, masculinity, and several other still-current stereotypes are sent up in this sliver of a plot.

Several friends who often differ in their tastes have listened to my copy with me, and all were delighted.

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