Full of Wit and Wordplay: Remy Bumppo Presents PYGMALION by George Bernard Shaw

Do you remember that moment when everything changed and your life's journey really began? This holiday season, join Remy Bumppo Theatre Company as we follow the journey of an extra-ordinary young woman who discovers the power of her own voice in the classic comedy Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.

Press Opening is Monday, November 28, at 7:00 pm at the Greenhouse Theater Center. The show runs from November 23, 2016 through January 8, 2017.

Shaw's battle of wits begins when the ambitious and strong-willed Eliza meets her equal in linguistics professor Henry Higgins, whom she enlists to teach her to speak "like a lady." But Higgins has grander plans for her, and she finds herself swept up in his social experiment which suddenly places this savvy but unschooled flower girl in the middle of the mysterious complexities of upper class society. Exploring the hypocritical world of Edwardian England in Shaw's wickedly delightful play are Artistic Associates Annabel Armour, David Darlow and Nick Sandys and Ensemble Members Kelsey Brennan and Peter A. Davis. Joining the Remy Bumppo artists are Kyle Curry, Sean Foer, Eliza Helm, Laurie Larson, Brian McKnight, Joanna Riopelle, and Vahishta Vafadari.

Remy Bumppo Artistic Associate and director of Pygmalion, Shawn Douglass, explains his perspective and his excitement about this particular production: "We really want the focus to be on Eliza's journey. What Henry Higgins, and the audience, discover is that Eliza is no ordinary flower girl. Though born into impoverished circumstances, she has the latent intelligence and ambition to recreate herself. She needs the Professor to accomplish her goal, but she will take what she learns from him and determine her own future."

Pygmalion, written in 1912 at a time when women's suffrage was making daily headlines, stages both Shaw's progressive belief in the equality of the sexes, as well as his satire of the defiant persistence of Victorian customs and the English class system in the face of inevitable social progress.

"We want to mine all the Shavian fun inherent in Shaw's juxtaposition of different classes, as well as the battle between the sexes," says Douglass, "but by framing the story through Eliza's experience, we want to clearly highlight her growing independence as the heart of the play. Our goal is to examine the seminal moment when this extraordinary woman discovers the power of her own voice."

Pygmalion will be performed November 23, 2016 through January 8, 2017 at the Greenhouse Theater Center at 2257 N. Lincoln Ave in Chicago. Season Subscriptions and tickets are on sale now at www.RemyBumppo.org or by calling the Greenhouse at 773.404.7336.

Remy Bumppo's 2016/2017 Season Sponsors are Geoffrey A. Anderson, Nancy and Gene DeSombre, and Brenda and James Grusecki.

To post a comment, you must register and login.