[NEohioPAL] Berko review: THE SHAW FESTIVAL OF CANADA

[Roy Berko]

THE SHAW FESTIVAL 2010…worth the ride!

The lovely village of Niagara-on-the-Lake is the home of The Shaw Festival.  A 
generally excellent season of theatre, lovely flowers, classic home architecture 
and inviting well-stocked shops and galleries allow an inviting experience.

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line 
to www.shawfest.com.  

(Following are Capsule Judgements of each show I saw.  For complete reviews go 
to www.royberko.info.)

HALF AN HOUR’—thirty-six minutes very well spent!
(Royal George Theatre through October 9)

In ‘HALF AN HOUR’ J. M. Barrie illustrates how life can change in thirty 
minutes.  Ironically, those precious few minutes are not only the subject of his 
play, but also approximately the play’s length, which is counted off to the 
audience.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘HALF AN HOUR’ is a lovely pastiche that proves that a lot 
can be said in thirty-six minutes, and in the hands of a creative director and a 
talented cast, it doesn’t take a lot of time to entertain.

‘JOHN BULL’S OTHER ISLAND’ examines British and Irish relations
(Court House Theatre, until October 9)

George Bernard Shaw is noted for his caustic humor and strong political views.  
Being an Irishman, he had strong opinions about the Irish, the Brits, the 
church, socialism, the role of women and businessmen.  

His 1904 play, ‘JOHN BULL’S OTHER ISLAND,’ is a comedy centering on Larry Doyle, 
who was originally from Ireland, who has moved to England, become a successful 
civil engineer and has returned to his home town in order to obtain land and 
build a golf course and other facilities.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  While not being one of Shaw’s great plays, ‘JOHN BULL’S 
OTHER ISLAND’ is filled with laughs and makes its well-conceived points.   It is 
well worth attending and is a must-see for Shavians as the script is seldom 
staged.

‘THE WOMEN’—poorly directed and acted!
(Festival Theatre through October 9)

Clare Boothe Luce’s ‘THE WOMEN’ became a cult hit when it was made into a 1939 
film. The author’s acidic wit and overdone caustic realism featured catfights 
never seen before on screen.  
 
The story concerns the pampered lives and power struggles of wealthy Manhattan 
socialites and the backstabbing chitchat that propels and damages their 
relationships. In both the play and the film, Luce probes into the role of the 
modern woman, marriage and divorce, female friendship, the power of gossip, 
beauty standards and socio-economic class.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  While walking down the street, I overheard a discussion 
between two women who had just left ‘THE WOMEN.’  One said to other, “That was 
probably the worst production I’ve ever seen!”  I wouldn’t go that far, but from 
my perspective, she wasn’t far from wrong. 

‘DOCTOR’S  DILEMMA’  makes effective house call
(Festival Theatre through October 30)

George Bernard Shaw was a social critic. In ‘THE DOCTOR’S  DILEMMA’ he chooses 
to skewer the medical establishment. 

The story’s core centers on a doctor who has developed a cure for tuberculosis, 
but has only enough serum for one patient.  Should he chose a poor medical 
colleague who treats the needy for very little personal gain, or an extremely 
gifted but very unpleasant young artist whose attractive wife the doctor wants 
for his own? 

CAPSULE  JUDGEMENT:  ‘THE DOCTOR’S  DILMEMMA’ gets a strong production at The 
Shaw.  It is a staging well worth seeing, especially in regard to recent 
conflicts over health care in the U.S.

‘ONE TOUCH OF VENUS’—dated show without much of a storyline
(Royal George Theatre through October 10)

‘ONE TOUCH OF VENUS.’ concerns a long-lost, priceless statue of the goddess, 
Venus, which is found and placed on display in an art museum in New York.  The 
sculpture comes to life.  Complications ensue when human males fall in love with 
the now “real” Venus. 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  Shaw’s ‘ONE TOUCH OF VENUS’ is not bad, it’s just that 
unless you are interested in musical theatre history, there isn’t much of a 
reason to see the production.  The final curtain was met with politic applause 
and the audience left the theatre without reacting much to what they had just 
seen.

Wilde’s ‘AN IDEAL HUSBAND’ is ideal!
(Festival Theatre through October 31)

 ‘AN IDEAL HUSBAND’ is a comic-farce that tells the story of two women who want 
their husbands to be perfect. Through wit and pointed humor, exposing blackmail 
and political corruption, and examining private honor, Wilde exposes the 
difficulty of living according to limited perspectives.

Capsule Judgement:  ‘AN IDEAL HUSBAND’ gets a wonderful production under the 
masterful guidance of director Jackie Maxwell.  It is one of the highlights of 
this season at The Shaw.

HARVEY
Royal George Theatre through October 31)

I did not see ‘HARVEY,’ but friends whose opinion I trust raved about the 
production.
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2010, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info
His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com and NeOHIOpal (to 
subscribe visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.)