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Widower's Houses
''Widowers' Houses'' (1892) was the first play by George Bernard Shaw to be staged. It premièred on 9 December 1892 at the Royalty Theatre, under the auspices of the Independent Theatre Society — a subscription club, formed to escape the Lord Chamberlain's Office censorship. Characters *Harry Trench *William de Burgh Cokane *Mr. Sartorius *Lickcheese *Waiter *Porter *Blanche *The Parlor Maid Plot The play comprises three acts: In ''Act I'' a poor but aristocratic young doctor named Harry Trench and his friend William Cokane are holidaying at Remagen on the Rhine. They encounter fellow travellers Mr Sartorius, a self-made businessman, and his daughter Blanche. Harry and Blanche fall in love and become engaged. ''Act II'' opens with everyone back at home in London. Sartorius, in talking to Mr Lickcheese, whom he employs as a rent-collector, reveals himself to be a slum landlord. He dismisses Lickcheese for dealing too leniently with tenants. Trench and Cokane arriv ...
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George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as ''Man and Superman'' (1902), ''Pygmalion'' (1913) and '' Saint Joan'' (1923). With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory, Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation, and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Born in Dublin, Shaw moved to London in 1876, where he struggled to establish himself as a writer and novelist, and embarked on a rigorous process of self-education. By the mid-1880s he had become a respected theatre and music critic. Following a political awakening, he joined the gradualist Fabian Society and became its most prominent pamphleteer. Shaw had been writing plays for years ...
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BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts also featuring. The station describes itself as "the world's most significant commissioner of new music", and through its BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists scheme, New Generation Artists scheme promotes young musicians of all nationalities. The station broadcasts the The Proms, BBC Proms concerts, live and in full, each summer in addition to performances by the BBC Orchestras and Singers. There are regular productions of both classic plays and newly commissioned drama. Radio 3 won the Sony Radio Academy UK Station of the Year Gold Award for 2009 and was nominated again in 2011. According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 1.7 million with a listening share of 1.3% as of September 2022. History Radio 3 is the ...
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1892 Plays
Year 189 ( CLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Silanus and Silanus (or, less frequently, year 942 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 189 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years. Events By place Roman Empire * Plague (possibly smallpox) kills as many as 2,000 people per day in Rome. Farmers are unable to harvest their crops, and food shortages bring riots in the city. China * Liu Bian succeeds Emperor Ling, as Chinese emperor of the Han Dynasty. * Dong Zhuo has Liu Bian deposed, and installs Emperor Xian as emperor. * Two thousand eunuchs in the palace are slaughtered in a violent purge in Luoyang, the capital of Han. By topic Arts and sciences * Galen publishes his ''"Treatise on the various temperaments"'' (aka ''O ...
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David Staller
David Staller (born November 16, 1955) is an American theatre director and actor. He is the founding artistic director of the Off-Broadway theatre company, Gingold Theatrical Group. Early life Staller was born in Glencoe, Illinois. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, studied acting under Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen, and studied cello at the University of Southern California. His godmother was British actress Hermione Gingold. As a tribute to her, Staller named Gingold Theatrical Group after her. Stage work As an actor, Staller's appearances on Broadway include Cabaret, where he originated the role of Ernst Ludwig in the 1987 revival, Evita, and Hello, Dolly! Staller has made over 50 appearances Off-Broadway, including performances in Gas Light, for which he received a Drama League Citation for Distinguished Performer, Mrs. Warren's Profession, The Bald Soprano, and Hay Fever. Staller became the first person to direct all of George Bernard Shaw's 65 plays, inc ...
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Gingold Theatrical Group
Gingold Theatrical Group, often abbreviated as GTG, is a New York-based non-profit theatre company. It was founded in 2006 by American actor and director David Staller. Its mission is to present works that carry the humanitarian values of writer and critic George Bernard Shaw. It presents several series, including the annual festival Shaw New York, and the monthly series of staged readings, Project Shaw. Through this series, GTG became the first theatre group to present all 65 of George Bernard Shaw's plays. History and description Gingold Theatrical Group is a Manhattan-based theatre company under the Artistic Direction of David Staller, who founded the group in 2006. Staller believed that the English playwright and critic, George Bernard Shaw, created work that made the strongest statements on human rights. He named the group after his friend Hermione Gingold, together with whom he read Shaw's plays. Stephen Brown-Fried serves as the group's Associate Director, and Alyce Stark ...
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The Actors Company Theatre
The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) is an Off-Broadway theatre company that was founded in 1992 by a group of New York stage veterans. For their first several years, TACT produced a number of concert performances, a cross between a staged reading and a full production. In 2006, TACT began a residency at the Beckett Theatre on Theatre Row to produce two full plays a year. TACT focuses on reviving lesser-known productions that have not been performed in New York for several years. Their mission statement, according to their website, is "to present neglected or rarely produced plays of literary merit, with a focus on creating theatre from its essence: the text and the actor's ability to bring it to life." History The Actors Company Theatre was founded in 1992 by a group of actors. Beginning in the 2006–2007 season, TACT produced its Mainstage Off-Broadway productions in the Beckett Theatre. The following year, TACT became a resident company of NYC's Theatre Row. TACT also presente ...
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Theatre Row (New York City)
Theatre Row is an entertainment district of Off Broadway theatres on 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan west of Ninth Avenue. The space originally referred to a 1977 redevelopment project to convert adult entertainment venues into theatres between 9th and Tenth Avenues on the south side of 42nd Street. However with the success of the district the name is often used to describe any theatre on either side of the street from Ninth Avenue to the Hudson River as more theatres have been built along the street. From east to west, theatres along Theatre Row are: *Laurie Beechman Theatre *Theatre Row Building *Playwrights Horizons *Stage 42 (formerly the Little Shubert Theatre) *Pershing Square Signature Center * Castillo Theatre * Pearl Theatre Original 1977 theatres Theatre Row was first established in 1977 in conjunction with the 42nd Street Development Corporation in an effort to convert adult entertainment venues into Off Broadway theatres. The first theatres involved in 1977 were ...
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Tim Pigott-Smith
Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor in 1985. Other noted TV roles included roles in '' The Chief'', ''Midsomer Murders'', '' The Vice'', ''The Suspicions of Mr Whicher'', ''King Charles III'' and two ''Doctor Who'' stories (''The Claws of Axos'' (1971) and ''The Masque of Mandragora'' (1976)). Pigott-Smith appeared in many notable films including: '' Clash of the Titans'' (1981), ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), ''Johnny English'' (2003), ''Alexander'' (2004), ''V for Vendetta'' (2005), ''Quantum of Solace'' (2008), '' Red 2'' (2013) and ''Jupiter Ascending'' (2015). Early life Pigott-Smith was born in Rugby, Warwickshire, the son of Margaret Muriel (née Goodman) and Harry Thomas Pigott-Smith, who was a journalist. He was e ...
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Dan Stevens
Daniel Jonathan Stevens (born 10 October 1982) is a British actor and writer. He first drew international attention for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV acclaimed period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2012). He also starred as David in the thriller film '' The Guest'' (2014), Sir Lancelot in the adventure film '' Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb'' (2014), The Beast/Prince in Disney's live action adaptation of ''Beauty and the Beast'' (2017), Lorin Willis in the biographical legal drama ''Marshall'' (2017), Charles Dickens in the biographical drama '' The Man Who Invented Christmas'' (2017) and Russian Eurovision singer Alexander Lemtov in '' Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'' (2020). From 2017 to 2019, he starred as David Haller in the FX series ''Legion''. In 2018, he starred in the Netflix horror-thriller ''Apostle''. Early life Stevens was adopted at birth by parents who were both teachers, and grew up in Wales and southeast England. He ...
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Honeysuckle Weeks
Honeysuckle Susan Weeks (born 1 August 1979) is a British actress best known for her role as Samantha Stewart (later Wainwright) in the ITV (TV channel), ITV wartime drama series ''Foyle's War''. Early life Weeks was born in Cardiff, Wales, to Robin and Susan (née Wade) Weeks, and grew up in Chichester and Petworth, both in West Sussex, England. Her parents named her after the plant honeysuckle, because its flowers were in bloom when she was born. She has a younger sister Perdita Weeks, Perdita and brother Rollo Weeks, Rollo, who have also pursued careers in acting. Weeks was educated at Great Ballard School, Sussex, Roedean School and Pembroke College, Oxford, where she read English (graduating with British undergraduate degree classification, upper-second class honours). She also spent time studying art on the John Hall Pre-university Course in Venice, Italy. As a child she was a member of the Chichester Festival Theatre. From the age of nine, Weeks studied at the Sylvia You ...
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Charles Dance
Walter Charles Dance (born 10 October 1946) is an English actor. He is known for playing strict, authoritarian characters and villains. His most notable film roles include Sardo Numspa in ''The Golden Child'' (1986), Dr. Jonathan Clemens in ''Alien 3'' (1992), Benedict in ''Last Action Hero'' (1993), Lord Havelock Vetinari in ''Terry Pratchett's Going Postal'' (2010), the Master Vampire in ''Dracula Untold'' (2014), Alastair Denniston in ''The Imitation Game'' (2014), Alan Jonah in '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters'' (2019), and William Randolph Hearst in '' Mank'' (2020). On television, Dance played Guy Perron in '' The Jewel in the Crown'' (1984), Mr Tulkinghorn in Bleak House (2005), Tywin Lannister in '' Game of Thrones'' (2011–2015), and Lord Mountbatten in the third and fourth seasons of ''The Crown'' (2019–2020). For his role in the latter, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Early life Walter Charles Dance w ...
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Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural icon, he has received various accolades, including six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Tony Award, and a Golden Globe Award. The BBC states that his "performances have guaranteed him a place in the canon of English stage and film actors". McKellen began his professional career in 1961 at the Belgrade Theatre as a member of their highly regarded repertory company. In 1965, McKellen made his first West End appearance. In 1969, he was invited to join the Prospect Theatre Company to play the lead parts in Shakespeare's '' Richard II'' and Marlowe's '' Edward II'', and he firmly established himself as one of the country's foremost classical actors. In the 1970s, McKellen became a stalwart of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Thea ...
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