The Hilberry Theatre opens Misalliance, a drawing room comedy by George Bernard Shaw at 8 p.m. on Friday, April 8, 2005, and running through Saturday, May 14, 2005.
Misalliance takes place during the afternoon of May 31, 1909, in the Surrey, England home of John Tarleton, a self-made millionaire. Hypatia, his daughter, is frustrated with early 20th Century constraints on marriage, womanhood and morality. She is engaged to a brainy aristocrat, a man of whom her father approves. However, her situation changes after an aviator and Polish acrobat crashes, literally, through the Tarleton\'s house.
Misalliance is one of Shaw\'s \"discussion plays,\" a dramatic genre with more emphasis on dialogue rather than plot and action. Originally, Shaw\'s plays were written for publication and to be read to a live audience. Though his plays were meant for reading, theatres around the world still continue to include Shaw\'s plays in their annual repertoire. His plays evoke dramatic tension, which could lead to plot complications and conflicts amongst characters.
Shaw examines several topics in his plays including marriage, women\'s rights, social classes, gender relations and capitalism, making him a revolutionary playwright of his time. Born in Ireland in 1856, Shaw was heavily involved in British socialist politics. Shaw relocated to the United Kingdom in 1876, where he established himself as a playwright. He was a member of the Fabian society, a British middle-class socialist group. Shaw\'s philosophical ideas and personal grips with social evils are seen in many of his plays. Throughout his career, he has written more than 50 plays and received a Nobel Prize for literature in 1925. Shaw\'s other works include Candida, Mrs. Warren\'s Profession, Major Barbara, Pygmalion, Heartbreak House, Arms and the Man and many others.
Directed by Guest Director Anthony Schmitt, the cast includes: Nick DePinto (John Tarleton, Jr. - \"Johnny\"), Tony Bozzuto (Bentley Summerhays), Amanda Rae Jones (Hypatia Tarleton), Lisa Betz (Mrs. Tarleton), Christopher M. Bohan (Lord Summerhays), Aaron T. Moore (John Tarleton), Michael Brian Ogden (Joseph Percival), Carly Germany (Lina Szczepanowska) and Chris Roady (Julius Baker - \"Gunner\"). Designers for Misalliance are Fred Florkowski (scenery), Jeremy McDaniel (lighting), April Stewart (costumes) and Josh Fisher (sound).
Schmitt returns to the Hilberry Theatre following his 2002 retirement from Wayne State University\'s Department of Theatre where he was the Associate Director and the head of the MFA Acting program. During his 24-year career at WSU, Schmitt directed over 60 productions including the award-winning Nicholas Nickleby. Schmitt has directed for the Hilberry and Bonstelle Theatres, Cherry County Playhouse, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Meadow Brook Theatre and Water Works Theatre. He has degrees from Xavier University, St. Louis University and The Ohio State University. Schmitt is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Screen Actors Guild and the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers.
Misalliance opens on Friday, April 8, 2005, and plays through Saturday, May 14, 2005, in rotating repertory with Henry IV, Part I.
Ticket prices range from $13-$22, with student rush tickets available the day of the performance for $10. Group discounts are also available. For tickets and further information, please call (313) 577-2972 or visit the Wayne State University Theatre box office at 4743 Cass Ave. on the corner of Cass and W. Hancock. Performance information may also be obtained by visiting the company\'s website at www.hilberry.com.
Season sponsored by Between the Lines, Dearborn Times-Herald and the MetroTimes.