Classic Theatre of San Antonio to Present ARMS AND THE MAN, Begin. 8/22

Classic Theatre of San Antonio opens up its seventh season with a production of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man. Worlds collide with delicious results when two opposing soldiers vie for the heart of an idealistic young girl. Director Stacey Connelly captures Shaw's signature wit and charm in this classic, romantic comedy which illuminates the resulting humor of heroic ideals turned on their head.

George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man takes place at the close of the Serbo-Bulgarian war in 1885, where Raina (Margaret Tonra), a young Bulgarian woman, totally idolizes her fiancée Sergius Saranoff (Nathan Thurman), one of the heroes of the war. As the Serbian army retreats, a voluntary Swiss soldier, Bluntschli (Tyler Keyes) seeks shelter by climbing through Raina's bedroom window and begging for her to hide him. Bluntschli's gentle nature and unique ammunition (chocolates in lieu of bullets) contrasts sharply with Raina's romantic notions of war and heroism, yet she finds herself attracted to him, and helps him escape. Shortly thereafter, Sergius returns from the war and Raina begins to find his attitude more pompous and irritating. Her thoughts return again and again to her "chocolate cream soldier," and when Bluntschli reappears, she finds herself torn between her romantic ideals and the surprise of real love.

Arms and the Man premiered on April 21, 1894 at the Avenue Theatre in London. This play was Shaw's first of many commercial triumphs. Arms reached Broadway only five months later and eventually inspired an enormously popular operetta, The Chocolate Soldier. With other such classics as Pygmalion, Major Barbara, and Saint Joan, George Bernard Shaw remains one of the most celebrated playwrights in literature, known for his incisive wit and intelligent comedies. An ardent socialist, Shaw lived to examine social issues in all his plays, transforming the frothy and sentimental melodrama of the late 1800s.

In addition to Tonra, Keyes and Thurman, the cast features Allan S. Ross, Kathy Couser, Elizabeth Ann Cave, Robert J. Ferrelli, and Joseph Urick. The production also features Costume Design by Jodi Karjala, Scenic Design by Abigail Entsminger, Lighting Design by Greg Starbird, and Sound Design by Rick Malone.

Performances of Arms and the Man are scheduled Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 8:00pm and Sunday afternoons at 3:00pm beginning August 22 and continuing through September 7, with an Educator's Preview Night on Thursday, August 21. Classic Theatre of San Antonio is located at 1924 Fredericksburg Rd, next door to the Woodlawn Theatre. Ticket prices range from $10-$25. For the Educator's Night, contact our Director of Education, Christie Beckham, at christie@classictheatre.org.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Box Office at 210-589-8450, or visit us online at www.classictheatre.org. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.

Photo by Cezanne N. Enriquez

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