Playwright: George Bernard ShawAt: Remy Bumppo at Victory Gardens, 2257 N. Lincoln
Phone: (773) 871-3000; $28-$33
Runs through: Jan. 25
BY RICK REED
In what some might hail as his masterpiece, G.B. Shaw balances so many issues—familial relationships, capitalism, religion—that one might wonder where the playwright found time to put in a few laughs and a good story. But that's what sets Shaw apart from even top-tier playwrights: his ability to weave themes and subtext into ripping good, often hilarious plotlines. It's also probably the reason his plays are second only to Shakespeare in being the most oft produced.
Major Barbara is essentially about a clash between a father and daughter. Andrew Undershaft has been estranged from his wife and children for years, off making a fortune in munitions and supplying the world with the means to wage war. When he reappears in his family's life early in the play, he discovers his younger daughter, Barbara, has become a major in the Salvation Army, changing the world 'one soul at a time.' Barbara is earnest in her belief that she can make a difference by delivering up lost souls to her God. Of course, there's going to be a mighty conflict between the idealistic Barbara and her secularist father, especially when he tells her, 'My dear, I am a millionaire. That is my religion.' And: 'There are two things necessary for salvation: money and gunpowder.' These themes come to a crux as the play moves on and calls into question all manner of contemporary thought, including a final discourse on power and morality. G.B. Shaw was singing 'Money makes the world go 'round' long before Kander and Ebb put it into Cabaret.
A play of Major Barbara's caliber deserves a top-notch production. Thank God Remy Bumppo delivers. Their grasp of the play, its times, and the themes Shaw was projecting result in a delightful outing, one that entertains and provokes thought equally. Bringing a sure hand to the helm, director James Bohnen keeps the pacing lively and coaxes from his ensemble astonishing performances. Susan Bennett, an actor who continues to blossom, does some of her finest work here, balancing this Major Barbara with equal parts earnestness and pluck. David Darlow, as munitions titan Andrew Undershaft, is the perfect voice of reason, making his case with consummate skill by play's end. Bruch Reed and Eric Slater lend perfect comic timing to their respective roles of stuffy Undershaft son and ridiculous future son-in-law. And, as the family Matriarch, Lady Britomart, Jan Lucas is a revelation, delivering a flawless interpretation of a mother giving her children up to adulthood reluctantly, but with dignity. And I have to give gratitude to dialect coach Linda Gates. This production sports none of the misinformed, bad British accents one is so often forced to endure in British-set productions. Gates hits all the right notes, and is well aware of how class distinctions affect British dialect.
Give yourself the thinking person's holiday treat this season and see Remy Bumppo's smart and sparkling production of a classic.