Mrs. Warren's Profession (The SOB Review) - American Airlines Theatre, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York City, New York
**1/2 (out of ****)
Call the cops!
For a play that was raided and shut down by the New York Police when
first mounted on Broadway over 100 years ago,
Mrs. Warren's Profession isn't just the oldest in the world, it may have been among the boldest as drawn by playwright
George Bernard Shaw through
Doug Hughes' revisionist direction.
As delivered in a bravura performance by the impeccable
Cherry Jones, Mrs. Kitty Warren has rationalized her vocation to a degree that it's almost impossible not to give credence to her forceful if flawed logic. For Kitty Warren never seems to doubt that she's vanquished over the drudgery of working class labor, turning the tables on all who've second guessed just who's being exploited.
Indeed, the proud Kitty Warren is supremely confident that hers is a truly noble profession. She is particularly proud of its provision of the very best for her beloved, if rarely seen, daughter Vivie (a hardboiled yet shrill
Sally Hawkins in her Broadway debut).
Kitty has been running a string of bordellos on the European continent. But ironically, Vivie has become accustomed to a proper upper class English lifestyle and has taken on an affected air of arrogance.and moral superiority all while Kitty has been plying her natural-born wares to ensure her daughter's very comfort and education.
However, Vivie's most volatile lesson is yet to come. She is about to learn that everything in her haughty existence has been made possible by her mother's very profession. And just when she's willing to forgive what she perceives as Kitty's past transgressions, she learns that the brothels still feature her mother as the star attraction.
As a harsh critic of capitalism's underbelly, Shaw offers Mrs. Warren's Profession as one of his most potent polemics against the clash of classes in Victorian society. As Hughes' interpretation here makes it appear that Shaw has overlooked the inherent exploitation of selling one's body, if not one's very soul, his reasoning is saved by the extraordinary talents of Cherry Jones.
It's to Jones' enormous credit that she imbues her Mrs. Warren with such warmth, passion, style and grace in making Shaw's arguments, that our hearts break for her as she faces potential rejection from her own daughter. But as Vivie, Hawkins offers a brittle performance as she rethinks her own moral code.
With ladies like these to fill your evenings, Mrs. Warren's Profession may turn tricks with everything you've ever thought about the demimonde.
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post. Labels: Broadway, Cherry Jones, George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Play, Revival, Sally Hawkins, The SOB Review
It's A Profession: Cherry Jones To Make Broadway ReturnThose rose-colored "glasses" being worn in the poster for the upcoming Broadway revival of
Mrs. Warren's Profession not only work in terms of how the title character's daughter initially views her mother, but also how I'm at least momentarily viewing
Roundabout Theatre Company.
Not only are they bringing
my personal favorite show I saw anywhere last year to Broadway, but they're also responsible for enticing
Cherry Jones back to the Great White Way.
As the titular character in
Mrs. Warren's Profession, Jones finally makes her overdue return to Broadway in
Doug Hughes' revival of the
George Bernard Shaw work. The play centers on the lengths one mother goes toward keep her daughter comfortable, including one well-kept secret. Roundabout
describes the play as follows:
Tony Award winner Cherry Jones returns to Broadway in George Bernard Shaw’s scorching tour de force! Mrs. Warren’s Profession tells the story of Kitty Warren, a mother who makes a terrible sacrifice for her daughter Vivie’s independence. The clash of these two strong-willed but culturally constrained women is the spark that ignites the ironic wit of one of Shaw's greatest plays.
Jones will be joined by
Sally Hawkins as her daughter Vivie,
Edward Hibbert as Mr. Praed,
Adam Driver as Frank Gardner,
Mark Harelik as Sir George Crofts and
Michael Siberry as the Reverend Samuel Gardner.
Hughes' revival marks the sixth time
Mrs. Warren's Profession has been mounted on Broadway.
Written in 1893, it wasn't until 1905 that the play was
first produced on the Great White Way. Due to its highly controversial subject matter (at the time), it was essentially shut down after just one performance when the cast and crew were arrested by the police. The play was
revived in 1907 for 25 performances, then again
briefly in 1918 and
once more for another 25 performances in 1922. Actress
Mary Shaw starred as Kitty Warren for each of those four earliest incarnations.
Then, the play lay dormant, at least on the Great White Way, for over fifty more years before
it was revived at
Lincoln Center in 1976.
Gerald Freedman directed a stellar cast, including
Ruth Gordon as Kitty,
Lynn Redgrave as Vivie,
Edward Herrmann as Frank,
Philip Bosco as George and
Milo O'Shea as the Reverend. While the revival would only play 55 regular performances, it earned Tony nominations for both Herrmann and Redgrave (Herrmann would win for Best Featured Actor).
My only previous experience with this work was back in 2003 at the
Guthrie in Minneapolis. Fortunately, I was well-armed with their excellent
study guide, which I strongly recommend reading only
after you see the performance. It certainly increased my understanding of and overall enjoyment for what was once a truly groundbreaking work.
Previews for
Mrs. Warren's Profession begin at the
American Airlines Theatre on September 3, with opening night slated for one month later on October 3. The brief run is slated to conclude on November 28, 2010.
This is
Steve On Broadway (SOB).
In keeping with the new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that unfairly discriminate against bloggers, who are now required by law to disclose when they have received anything of value they might write about, please note that I have received nothing of value in exchange for this post.Labels: Cherry Jones, Doug Hughes, First Word On New Show, George Bernard Shaw, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Play, Revival, Roundabout Theatre, Sally Hawkins
