Previews begin at the Shaw Festival for Bernard Shaw’s lively comedy The Philanderer

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, May 2007 … The Shaw Festival’s production of Bernard Shaw’s comedy of love and marriage, The Philanderer, began preview performances yesterday at the Royal George Theatre.

Shaw’s characters are members of the Ibsen Club. The rules of joining the club are simple: “Every candidate for membership must be nominated by a man and a woman, who both guarantee that the candidate, if female, is not womanly, and if male, not manly.”

Leonard Charteris (Ben Carlson), one of the club’s leading philosophers, also happens to be its leading philanderer. His desire to be a “New” kind of man has led to a sticky situation – two women have fallen in love with him. The play opens with Leonard in the arms of Grace Tranfield (Deborah Hay), a young widow who refuses to marry him. He pleads that he’s not really a cad – it’s not his fault that the women he meets fall in love with him! And suddenly, in bursts Julia Craven (Nicole Underhay) to stake her claim on Leonard. He reminds her of her ‘advanced views’ on womanhood. In Leonard’s view, “Advanced people form charming friendships: conventional people marry …You chose friendship instead of marriage. Now do your duty, and accept your notice.” But for Julia, her oath to be an unwomanly woman seems to crumble in the face of love.

As always with Shaw, the issues in the play are as relevant today as then – feminism, marriage, divorce, even the ethics of animal testing are examined. The shock of Ibsen may have subsided but the institution of marriage continues to be engulfed in fierce debate, and the pleasures and pains of love and desire never diminish.

An early work of Shaw’s from 1893, the play was not performed publicly until 1907. A selected number of the Shaw Festival’s performances of The Philanderer will include the rare opportunity to see the ‘lost’ act - a fourth act of the play that has never been published. This is The Shaw’s fourth production of this play.

The cast also includes Norman Browning as Joseph Cuthbertson, Nicola Correia-Damude as Sylvia Craven, Peter Hutt as Daniel Craven, Peter Krantz as Dr. Paramore, and Michael Strathmore.

The Philanderer is directed by Alisa Palmer, with design by Judith Bowden and lighting design by Louise Guinand. The stage management team includes Stage Manager Bill Jamieson and Assistant Stage Manager Barry Burns.

The Philanderer began preview performances Tuesday, May 1; opens Saturday, May 12; and plays in repertory until Sunday, October 7. The Philanderer is sponsored by the Producers Circle, a group of donors who, through their generous support, help underwrite a production each season.

The 2007 season is proudly presented by HSBC Bank Canada/HSBC Bank USA.

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Odette Yazbeck
Director, Public Relations
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odette@shawfest.com

Patti Broughton
Public Relations Co-ordinator
905-468-2153 or
1-800-657-1106 ext 224
pbroughton@shawfest.com