Master Playwright Festival

SHAW Unbound
Free Lecture Series

"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point
than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one.” - GBS

Introducing GB Shaw "Why Shaw Still Matters”
Wed Jan 18 7:00pm | King's Head Pub, 120 King Street (no wheelchair access)

Listen to an audio recording of "Why Shaw Still Matters."
(With thanks to Justin Olynyk and 101.5 UMFM)

In his heyday in the first half of the twentieth century, Bernard Shaw was one of the most famous people in the world and was widely recognized as second only to Shakespeare as the world’s leading English-language playwright. Since his death in 1950, Shaw is performed less regularly in the West End and on Broadway. Special guest Leonard Conolly, President of the International Shaw Society, argues that Shaw still offers the kind of theatrical engagement that few playwrights can match.

Shaw and Women's Rights
Sat Jan 21 12:00pm | Tom Hendry Warehouse, 140 Rupert Avenue at Lily Street

Women’s rights was an issue high on Shaw’s agenda both as a Fabian socialist and as a playwright. This panel discussion explores the struggle for women’s rights in Shaw’s lifetime and the ways in which he promoted the topic in his works, with particular reference to plays included in the festival repertoire.

Discovering Shaw - Directors’ Panel
Sat Jan 28 12:00pm | Tom Hendry Warehouse, 140 Rupert Avenue at Lily Street

Always a festival highlight, the directors’ panel brings together creative minds from the theatre community for a spirited discussion about the artistic process. Hear from several festival directors as they talk about the challenges and thrills of bringing Shaw’s works to the stage.