Misalliance

In Misalliance, Bernard Shaw examines a variety of unsuitable combinations. The social and the political collide with the romantic and the practical; convention clashes with innovation; parents spar with children and kids let old folks have it in return; the aristocracy mates uncomfortably with the merchant class, and to top it all off, a gun-toting socialist is loose on the grounds!

The central mismatch of this delicious 1899 comedy is a decidedly odd couple: Hypatia, the lusty, free-spirited daughter of a free-thinking, philandering father who made a bundle in the underwear business, and her fiancé Bentley, a.k.a. Bunny, who is all brains and no body and the wealthy son of a powerful Lord. Shaw’s witty characterizations and bold assertions carry this play in surprisingly modern ways. His humor creates delight as well as insight, reminding audiences that every relationship may be a misalliance – but at the end of the day, it’s still worth taking a risk.

Hosted by Howard Kissel and narrated by Jeremy McCarter, the reading of Misalliance features Ian Kahn, Martin Moran (Spamalot), Sarah Uriarte Berry (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), Sally Ann Howes, Paxton Whitehead, Brian Murray, Gareth Saxe (Heartbreak House), Andrea Marcovicci, Christian Borle (Spamalot) and Jeremy McCarter.

Misalliance is presented as part of Project Shaw, a production of the Gingold Theatrical Group.