Shaw's Misalliance Opens Off-Broadway Dec. 13

By Adam Hetrick
13 Dec 2009

Lee Stark
Lee Stark
Photo by Jay Westhauser

The Pearl Theatre Company revival of George Bernard Shaw's Misalliance officially opens Off-Broadway at City Center Stage II Dec. 13 after previews that began Dec. 4.

Jeff Steitzer, the former artistic director of Seattle's A Contemporary Theatre, makes his New York directorial debut with the production that will run through Jan. 24, 2010.

Lee Stark portrays Hypatia Tarleton alongside Dan Daily as Mr. Tarleton and Robin Leslie Brown as Mrs. Tarleton. The cast also features Bradford Cover (Johnny Tarleton), Dominic Cuskern (Lord Summerhays), Sean McNall (Gunner), Steven Boyer (Bentley Summerhays), Michael Brusasco (Joey Percival) and Erika Rolfsrud (Lina Szczepanowska).

"Fast and funny, Misalliance," according to the Pearl, "is a spirited comedy framed by the behavior—and misbehavior—of an Edwardian family on a lazy summer day at their country estate. Shaw’s comedy assembles a cast of characters from a myriad of classes, sexes, ages, and nationalities in the English country house of underwear magnate John Tarleton. At the heart of the play is Tarleton’s restless daughter, Hypatia, hopelessly stuck in her predictable upper-class life and waiting, as her father puts it, for 'adventure to drop out of the sky.' Shaw (literally) shatters the conventions and pretensions of Tarleton’s high society with his typically brisk pace, careening, and provocations."

Designing the production are Bill Clarke (scenic design), Liz Covey (costume design), Stephen Petrilli (lighting design), Jane Shaw (sound design), Rod Kinter (fight direction), Dudley Knight (vocal direction) and Kate Farrington (dramaturg).



For tickets phone (212) 598-9802 or visit PearlTheatre. New York City Center Stage II is located at West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.