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Trouble is, Munro neglects this gimmick for most of the first half of Shaw's comedy when it's desperately needed to dispel the talky tedium. Then when an old school buddy and a mysterious Polish aviatrix crash into the Tarleton greenhouse, jumpstarting the plot, Munro can't get enough of his lectern artificiality.
The Shaw ensemble triumphs over the added adversities. After thrilling us as the actress in Blood Relations, Laurie Paton slavically seduced us as GBS's leather-clad daredevil. The smoldering menace of Jane Perry as Lizzie in the matinee was shed that same evening for the effervescent caprice of Tarleton's beguiling daughter. No less remarkable were the transformations of Sharry Flett, Lorne Kennedy, and Michael Ball as they crossed the Atlantic during dinnertime from New England to Surrey.
So while an overreaching director labored to reduce his players to Shavian marionettes, this artful quintet of actors was upstaging him with their versatility. What a delightful reversal!
Over morning coffee, fruit compote, and omelets, the buzz at our bed & breakfast for Chekhov's Three Sisters was more positive. If you've never seen this gem of Russian melancholia, I'd guess it's a better way to make your acquaintance with the Festival Theatre. From July 11 through August 2, there's an interesting pairing at the Shaw as Brian Friel's Afterplay begins a series of 11:30am performances at the Court House.
Given its American premiere at Spoleto last year, Friel's intriguing one-act pairs the dissolute brother Andrey from Chekhov's Three Sisters with the pathetically unloved Sonia from Uncle Vanya. While the Sisters wonder why they suffer for the last time on August 2, Andrey lingers in the lunchtime Afterplay through September 20.
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More by Perry Tannenbaum
Calendar
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Improv Game Night @ CATCh
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ANNIE LEIBOVITZ / WORK @ Mint Museum Uptown at Levine Center for the Arts
- Tuesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Continues through Aug. 31
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Ain't Got No Men @ NarroWay Productions
- Saturdays, 5-8:30 p.m., Saturdays, 12-3:45 p.m. and Fridays, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Continues through July 18
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Date Night: Sip & Paint @ Blush CLT
- Fridays, 8-10 p.m. Continues through July 25
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Robots, Rockets, & Rovers @ The Schiele Museum of Natural History and Planetarium
- Sat., June 14, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
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Humana Festival 2003
Winners and losers in the annual national festival
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More Spring Events
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New Documentary Will Showcase Untold Story of Melungeon People 9
From infamy to diversity
