“Its antiwar theme is always timely, but the campy potential of its characters makes it far funnier and more accessible to modern audiences that some of his headier comedies.”
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"Arms and the Man is a prime example of Shaw's knack for sneaking subversive ideas -- in this case, a dismantling of war worship -- into a romantic romp… At the same time, Staller's production never loses sight of the pointless slaughter taking place just offstage, executed in the name of national honor or some such thing...There's a bitter truth at the play's heart, but in this case, it goes down like candy. If that was Shaw's gift, it is Staller's, too."
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“Gingold Theatrical Group's production of George Bernard Shaw's 1894 comedy ‘Arms and the Man’... is light as a feather and delectable as a piece of chocolate cream candy. And you needn't be concerned about getting home in time to tuck in the kids for the night because, as one of the cast members tells us by way of introduction, ‘don't worry; it's Shaw but it's short,’ with a runtime of two hours, including brief breaks”
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“As Raina and Bluntschli, the play’s ostensible leads, Bailey and Moodliar are attractive and engaging, but it’s the veteran members of the cast—Davis, Ryan and Ziemba—who really take the ball and run with it. Their characters feel both laughable and recognizable, plot contrivances and archaic social mores notwithstanding.”
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“All the actors had that mischievous wink...Their performances captured the slightly over-the-top bravado that was a staple of the play’s music hall origins...Although the stage was small, the seven actors managed to move gracefully up and down risers and around sparse furniture confidently. As the cast returned finally to say their goodbyes, I said to myself: well, that was lovely.”
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“The script presents difficult material for actors to play convincingly, and the cast struggles at first to mine the comic farcical aspects without over-emoting...This ensemble holds onto this show with enthusiasm and rides it until the satisfying payoff of the final act, which is an enjoyable conclusion to the evening.”
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Gingold Theatrical Group (GTG) is back at Theatre Row with a zippy production of Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man. Under the steady hand of David Staller (our country’s foremost Shavian outside academia), an ensemble of true pros dances lightly through the three compact acts of this 1894 anti-heroic comedy. A crackerjack design team fills the tiny auditorium with color, whimsical style, and melodies that evoke romanticized accounts of the so-called Gay ‘90s. With banter rather than battlefields or blood, this beloved theatrical chestnut speaks to 2023 playgoers who face new and expanding wars on multiple continents.
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Given the play’s emphasis on the rom-com and family episodes, in which, not only antiwar notions but issues of class and feminism are expressed with Shavian wit—minus the playwright’s later tendency to bloviate—Staller takes a playful attitude toward the text, accepting its innate theatricality and inflating it like a Thanksgiving parade balloon. The result casts a teeth-gritting pall of preciosity over everything.
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