Talkin' Shaw Class
Join us for a
lively group analysis of George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara facilitated
by Benjamin Fainstein, literary manager and resident dramaturg at The Armory.
Attendees will have the chance to share impressions and pick
each other's brains about this dynamic text. The class will consider the script from both a literary perspective and a
dramaturgical one, touching on issues of Shaw in performance as we talk
through our responses. Collectively, our investigation of this
classic play's characters, themes, and dramatic structures will
illuminate its many resonances for a contemporary world.
All are welcome to attend; the only requirement is to read the play in advance. (We will provide an electronic copy of the play a week in advance of the class.) Note: while we truly hope you will join us for a performance of The Armory's production of the play, seeing the show is not a prerequisite nor is our production the focus of this particular session.
Wednesday, May 2
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
$10
About Ben
 | Benjamin Fainstein is the literary manager at The Armory and for JAW: A Playwrights Festival. He is currently developing plays for The Armory’s NW Stories series with writers Lauren Yee, Mary Kathryn Nagle, Dan O’Brien, and James Beaton. Selected dramaturgy credits include Astoria: Parts One & Two (Portland Center Stage at The Armory), Sarah Sander’s Golden (MIDD Summer Play Lab), Kevin Artigue’s The Forcings (JAW), Meg Miroshnik’s The Tall Girls (Carlotta Festival of New Plays), and Marcus Gardley’s The House That Will Not Stand (Yale Repertory Theatre & Berkeley Repertory Theatre). As a playwright, director, and collaborative theatre maker, Benjamin has created numerous original works, including Carnival/Invisible, The Body Politic, Cat Club, Iphigenia Among the Stars, Prototype 373-G, and Paradise Sets In. He is a former founding artistic director of Whistler in the Dark Theatre, associate artistic director of Yale Cabaret, managing editor of Theater magazine, and artistic coordinator for Yale Repertory Theatre, where he supported the development of more than two dozen new plays. He is an alumnus of Middlebury College and Yale School of Drama. |
Attend this class for 500 points on PlayMaker! After registering, look for a welcome email containing your code to redeem for points. Sign up or sign in at playmaker.org.
More about Major Barbara:
Specialty Cocktails for "Major Barbara" and "And So We Walked"
From Pimm's to an earl grey simple, Bar Supervisor (and resident mixologist) Melissa Larrabee introduces the delicious specialty cocktails inspired by Major Barbara and And So We Walked.
George Bernard Shaw and Portland Center Stage: Shared Good Fortune
As we prepare to open our production of Major Barbara, an unplanned but serendipitous pattern around the great man’s work has become apparent: We seem to mark major transitions at Portland Center Stage at The Armory with the works of George Bernard Shaw.
Shaw and Film
George Bernard Shaw loved film, but hated his own his work on screen. Until Gabriel Pascal came along and made film adaptations of Pygmalion and, later, Major Barbara.
Keep Calm and Quarrel On: "Major Barbara’s" Great Debaters
Benjamin Fainstein, Literary Manager at The Armory, discusses George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara as a forum for debate.
The Costumes of "Major Barbara"
A behind the scenes look at the costumes for Major Barbara designed by Lex Liang.
"Major Barbara" Cast and Creative Team
Meet the incredible cast and creative team behind George Bernard Shaw's witty and timely classic, Major Barbara.
Chris Coleman talks "Major Barbara" with Artslandia
Watch Chris Coleman talk about George Bernard Shaw's masterpiece Major Barbara — his final show at The Armory.
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