Washington Stage Guild Presents DEAR LIAR by Jerome Kilty

The Washington Stage Guild continues our series of online presentations with a play perfectly suited to an online format. To follow our well-received streamed performances of George Bernard Shaw's Don Juan in Hell, The Devil's Disciple and How He Lied to Her Husband, we offer a play that explores the private life of our "house playwright," George Bernard Shaw - Jerome Kilty's 1957 epistolary play, Dear Liar, streaming free of charge from September 29th at 8 PM through October 3rd at 8 PM.

Patrons can obtain their free ticket to this online performance by going to https://www.showtix4u.com/events/wsg. There is absolutely no charge to 'attend', although donations will be gratefully welcomed.

At the turn of the 20th century, G. B. Shaw was establishing his place among the world's greatest playwrights. One of the actresses in the London theatre at the time was a woman whose career would last for decades and would intersect with Shaw's in a way that would change them both. Mrs. Patrick Campbell had achieved fame and artistic success in the 1890s, and Shaw knew she could do wonders with his plays. Eventually the chastely married GBS became infatuated with her, an infatuation she did little to discourage. As he by turns desired her and was frustrated by her, they kept up a correspondence worthy of two great wits, and Mrs. Pat was able to maintain the relationship long enough for Shaw to write one of his best roles for her- Eliza Doolittle. In the 1950s, actor Jerome Kilty adapted their letters, and their extraordinary up-and-down friendship, into the play Dear Liar, a huge hit in London and New York. Mrs. Pat is not well-remembered now, so it gives us great pleasure to reintroduce her to our audience and to give you a glimpse of an infatuated Shaw.

Founding WSG company member Laura Giannarelli will direct. The DEAR LIAR company:

• Nigel Reed* (George Bernard Shaw) returns to the Washington Stage Guild where he was last seen as Garth Williams in Alabama Story with Julie-Ann Elliott. He has appeared in several past WSG productions including The Underpants, Getting Married, On The Rocks, A Skull In Connemara and more. Mr. Reed is a past Helen Hayes Award winner, and a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.
• Julie-Ann Elliott* (Mrs. Patrick Campbell) is happily working with Washington Stage Guild again, where most recently she was seen in the streamed production of How He Lied to Her Husband and where she last crossed their boards, along with Nigel Reed, as librarian Emily Reed in Alabama Story. She is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association.
• Video Editor - Lauren Hyland
• Zoom Production Manager/Stage Manager - Elaine Randolph*
  • *Member, Actors' Equity Association

Dear Liar is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com

Dear Liar will be streamed free of charge under an agreement with The Theatre Authority and Actors' Equity Association.

For more information about Washington Stage Guild, visit our web site - www.stageguild.org

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