Misalliance

Role	First Name	Last Name	Position
Johnny Tarleton	Nicole (She/Her)	Frederick	Actor
Bently Summerhays	Willoughby (She/He/They/All/Any)	Staley	Actor
Mrs. Tarleton	Grace (She/Her)	Garner	Actor
Hypatia Tarleton	Ashlynn (She/Her)	Rober	Actor
Lord Summerhays	Jack Carter (He/Him)	Roberts	Actor
Mr. Tarleton	Ben (He/Him)	Quiroz	Actor
Joey Percival	Andrew (He/Him)	Moody	Actor
Lina Szczepanowska	McKenna (She/Her)	Walwyn	Actor
Gunner/ Julius Baker	Sumner Jones (He/Him)	Shoell	Actor
U/S Johnny Tarleton	Mason	Garcia	Actor
U/S Bently Summerhays	Levi (He/Him)	Hopkins	Actor
U/S Mrs. Tarleton	Ariana (She/Her)	Whatcott	Actor
U/S Hypatia Tarleton	Mia (She/Her)	Gatherum	Actor
U/S Lord Summerhays	Harmon (He/They)	Jackson	Actor
U/S Mr. Tarleton	Timo (He/Him)	Rasmussen	Actor
U/S Joey Percival	Jonah (He/Him)	Newton	Actor
U/S Lina Szczepanowska	Marin (She/Her)	Robison	Actor
U/S Gunner/ Julius Baker	Brynn (She/Her)	Francis	Actor
Director	Leslie	Brott	Production Staff
Stage Manager	Jordan (She/Her)	Lockwood	Production Staff
Asst. Stage Manager/ Tailor	Shelby	Findlay	Production Staff
Asst. Stage Manager	Sarah (She/Her)	Polizzott	Production Staff
Fight Choreographer	Paul T. (He/Him)	Mitri	Production Staff
Dialect Coach	Michael (He/Him)	Shipley	Production Staff
Dramaturg	Mary (She/Her)	Newton	Production Staff
Costume Designer	Nancy	Hills	Designer
Costume Shop Manager	Lydia (She/Her)	Semler	Production Staff
Asst. Costume Designer	Maren	Lyman	Designer
Asst. Costume Designer	Cheyenne	Davies	Designer
Wigs/ Makeup/ Tailor/ Wardrobe Head	Damon (He/They)	Fuhriman	Designer / Run Crew
Tailor	Amanda (She/They)	Aiken	Production Staff
Tailor	Kenlyn (She/They)	Shettlesworth	Production Staff
Tailor	Becca (She/Her)	Hulse	Production Staff
Social Media Fellow/ Tailor	Emma (She/Her)	Lovan	Production Staff
Lighting Designer	Brian (He/Him)	Garrick	Designer
Asst. Lighting Designer	Arden	Fayard	Designer
Master Electrician	Alexis (She/Her)	Lilya	Production Staff
Sound Designer	Jacob (He/Him)	Clawson	Designer
Props Master	Natalie (She/Her)	Lingardo	Designer
Scenic Designer	Kailey (She/Her)	Linden	Designer
Asst. Technical Director	Carter (He/Him)	Lee	Production Staff
Master Carpenter	Taylor (He/Him)	Karns	Production Staff
Graphic Design	Mike	Newman	Designer
Media Design	Emily	Heap	Designer
Wardrobe Crew	Meg (She/Her)	Roberts	Run Crew
Light Board Op	Bailee (She/Her)	Miner	Run Crew
Sound Board Op	Ollie (They/Them)	Chieppa	Run Crew
Deck	Ryan (He/Him)	Adams	Run Crew
Deck	Mac (He/Him)	Minshew	Faulty/ Staff
Department Head	Paul	Mitri	Faulty/ Staff
Associate Department Head, Head of Acting	Leslie	Brott	Faulty/ Staff
Technical Director/ Production Manager	Amy	Critchfield	Faulty/ Staff
Dramaturgy Advisor	Amanda	Dawson	Faulty/ Staff
Head of Tech and Design, Graduate Advisor	Bruce	Duerden	Faulty/ Staff
Stage Management Advisor	Kelsey	Koga	Faulty/ Staff
Design/ Tech Advisor	Joshua	Legate	Faulty/ Staff

Director’s Note

Misalliance: A Debate in One Sitting was written in the first decade of the 20th Century. In it, Shaw employs satire and gentle humor to investigate cultural precepts relating to marriage, family structure, the New Woman, the Life Force, education, and socialism. When it premiered, Misalliance, like many of Shaw’s dramas, was not successful. For audiences accustomed to Victorian melodramas, Shaw’s sly subversion of character archetypes and dramatic structure was uncomfortable and dissatisfying. Shaw’s romance didn’t tie-up in a tidy bow. The Ingenue’s innocence didn’t present according to the expected formula. Where was the Hero? And what about the Temptress who wasn’t fulfilling the exact rules of her archetype? And the play wasn’t designed to have an interval (we take one). Worst of all, Shaw demurred when it came to presenting a definitive moral conclusion. Audiences didn’t get Shaw, and, awkwardly, most Victorian/Edwardian directors and actors didn’t either.

Nowadays, Misalliance is a Shavian favorite; frequently produced and admired by theatre practitioners and audiences. Our contemporary sensibilities are attuned to Shaw’s satire and skewering of character types and traditional narratives. We are also much more comfortable with narrative ambiguity. Shaw presents us with many points of view but does not prescribe our adoption of any of them. Or does he?

Misalliance was selected for the Utah State Theatre season because it presented our BFA actors and designers genre-specific opportunities: beautiful sets, lights, and costumes, and sparkling language; all affirming Shaw’s call for every human being to live an examined, enjoyed, and fully realized life. There’s nothing more fun than examining universal truths and smiling at the same time. As a member of the performance faculty, I knew this script complemented the abilities of our current cohort of BFA actors.

As stated above, the full title is Misalliance: A Debate in One Sitting. Argument means rhetoric, i.e., persuasion, not acrimonious confrontation. The arguments are presented with Shaw’s customary wit and humor. The characters examine what makes life and relationships satisfying and meaningful. There are myriad pursuits of romantic liaisons and marriage, all designed to make you smile and think. Most important is Shaw’s examination of the culture of late Edwardian Britain, which obliged men to court women who would be compliant, subservient partners, when what really attracted them were strong and independent women; confident and brimming with vitality. Obviously, that notion is completely contemporary and relevant.

Leslie Brott, Director

Dramaturgy Note

Turning Points

By Mary Newton

The art we make is always influenced by our politics. In the case of Irish-British playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), this is especially the case. Shaw was a prolific writer who was unafraid to enter the arena of public debate, and in his 1910 comedy Misalliance, he does so with gusto.

The Edwardian era (1901–1914), the time period where Misalliance was written and takes place, was a crucial point for all of Britain. The upper class and nobility were characterized by strict and specific rules of conduct, from a social, cultural, and economic standpoint. There was regulation surrounding anything from fashion, to romance and courting, to social rank. However, contrary to its stately exterior, the Edwardian era was also characterized by impressive social reform and upheaval taking place on both a national and global level. At the turn of the century, the world was on the precipice of change, and in the events leading up to the First World War, it certainly saw it.

During this time, the lower class banded together to form unions in an effort for better pay and working conditions in all sorts of occupations, whether they were artists, coal miners, or factory workers. In connection with this, socialism was becoming a more widespread political philosophy throughout Europe. Women’s rights were making steady progress as suffragettes from all economic classes protested and fought for the right to vote. With the invention of the airplane and the first successful wireless transmission across the Atlantic, humanity, perhaps for the first time, was approaching a true global community.

Shaw was always active in politics, having been a founding member of the Fabian Society, a socialist organization that later assisted in the formation of the Labour party, and serving in local government from 1892–1903. He was an outspoken individualist and feminist. Additionally, Shaw was an avid reader, like many of the characters in the play, and valued access to an education. He wasn’t merely aware of these developments in society; he was anxiously engaged, and he sought to create a dialogue about it. Misalliance, much like the era it originates from, might seem to be just like any other comedy of manners at first glance. But in the end, one can see Shaw curated every talking point he could manage to squeeze in to feed the discussions the Edwardians were already facing in their daily lives. He invited his audience then, and does so now, to listen, to think, and to find the answers for themselves. At the end of the day, it’s up to the individual.