Candida

This incredibly taut romantic comedy by Bernard Shaw will be reset from London 1894 to Harlem 1929. It’s a time of global upheaval, and these six characters come together on one tumultuous day to redefine not only who they are but how to launch into the world in a new way. Written as a response to Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, this short but pithy comedy races along in ever-surprising ways. The Reverend James Morell and his wife Candida live a comfortable life until the young poet Marchbanks is taken into their home and challenges everything they’d built their lives upon. This dynamic and surprising comedy is one of Shaw’s most popular and entertaining plays, which then went on to inspire Anderson’s Tea and Sympathy.

With Candida, Shaw created the bold template from which grew what we now know as the sit-com. It’s a whirlwind single day in the life of six wildly diverse individuals. Amusing, witty, romantic, and insightful, it is often mentioned as an audience favorite.