Examining Misalliance: George Bernard Shaw, The Classic Theatre, and Producing Ethically Today

Hypatia, the daughter of a self-made underwear mogul, is bored with the stuffy attitudes of the aristocracy. She’s anxious to shape her own new world. Suddenly, an airplane crashes into the family estate. With new and attractive characters thrown into the mix, traditional norms get overturned as women become the ardent hunters and men their hapless prey. This fast-paced romantic comedy is Shaw’s ironic debate about marriage, the “New Woman,” and the distance that exists between parent and child.

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Betty Kelso Center, San Antonio Botanical Garden

555 Funston Place, San Antonio, TX 78209

We want to hear from you. Please join us for “Examining Misalliance: George Bernard Shaw, The Classic Theatre, and Producing Ethically Today,” a free community event, indoors, at the Betty Kelso Center at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

The Classic Theatre of San Antonio is dedicated to creating excellent theatre that is relevant, diverse, entertaining, and transformative. But, as we all know, producing classic theatre for today’s audiences offers unique challenges, especially when playwrights and texts present obstacles for the representation of minorities and may contain viewpoints that society is working to move beyond.

As we began our approach to our production of Misalliance by George Bernard Shaw, our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee Chair & resident dramaturg, our show’s director, and our new Executive & Artistic Director began to discuss characteristics of the play and conflicting attitudes about the author that made them think critically about the material we were planning to present. Certainly, thoughtfully employed edits, along with our diverse original cast and creative artistic choices, would have celebrated the forward-thinking tenets of the play and made the piece more acceptable, fun, and accessible for a 2022 audience. But would that be enough? And would that move the needle in terms of the ethical theatrical practices our theater communities are asking for?

This is when we discovered an opportunity to do something transparent, new, and exciting. This is where we need your voice and your opinion.

Instead of simply dismissing plans for the production, we are working to honor our commitment to the San Antonio Botanical Garden and to our performers by producing a FREE, abridged, staged reading of Misalliance, alongside a moderated talkback afterwards. Using the play and its author as our example, we will host a conversation about how the theatre can produce these classic texts ethically for you and our city.

“I am fascinated by the playwright George Bernard Shaw who wrote over a century ago, yet whose socially progressive writings were far ahead of his own time. We are all excited to explore one of these works through our 2022 lens, examining how he still resonates today and where he may diverge from our current cultural values. By converting this event to a staged reading and moderated talk-back, The Classic Theatre has opened the door for lively discourse among audiences, designers, performers, and technicians regarding Shaw’s place in our historical cannon and the nature of his role in our theatrical future.” – Dylan Brainard, Director

As we build our staff, our programming, and our theatre back after the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to hear your voice about what you want to see on our stages and how that aligns with our mission to bring impactful classic texts to San Antonio. Your feedback will help us to institute structures and practices that will continue to ensure a sustainable and enjoyable Season 15 with community and artist focused quality offerings. We hope you will join us for “Examining Misalliance: George Bernard Shaw, The Classic Theatre, and Producing Ethically Today,” playing indoors at the Betty Kelso Center at the San Antonio Botanical Garden.