Boho Theatre and Stage Left Theatre Present PYGMALION, 1/5-2/10

BoHo Theatre and Stage Left Theatre present a joint production of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. The production runs January 5th through February 10th , 2013, at Theater Wit, and is directed by Stage Left Artistic Director Vance Smith. Pygmalion represents the Bohemian Pillar of Beauty in BoHo Theatre's 2012/2013 Season, and continues Stage Left Theatre's season exploring societal perceptions and expectations of women. This production celebrates the 100th anniversary of Pygmalion, which was first produced in 1913.

THE PLAY
Pygmalion is the classic tale of wily Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle and her transformation into a "proper lady" at the hands of the arrogant dialect expert Henry Higgins. On a bet, Higgins takes Eliza in off the street and trains her to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's gArden Party by teaching her to assume a veneer of gentility, the most important element of which, he believes, is impeccable speech. What he isn't quite ready to accept, however, is that Eliza is a real person, not just an experiment: one with plans and feelings of her own.

Shaw's biting social commentary on class, manners, and the place of women in society remains as hilarious and challenging as when it was first performed in 1913. In celebration of the play's centennial, this production offers the original story, using the script as it was first produced, before Shaw adapted it for film, added additional scenes, and before it inspired the beloved musical My Fair Lady. Now, 100 years later, a woman's rights and place in society continue to be contentious issues. By bringing the past to life onstage, BoHo and Stage Left remind us how far we've come on the issues of women's roles and the definition of beauty, and how far we still have to go.

THE PRODUCTION
Pygmalion is a joint venture between Stage Left Theatre and BoHo Theatre. It presents the opportunity for each organization to learn from the other while melding their distinct artistic directions into a single production. Pygmalion will feature regular BoHo artists Theresa Ham (costume design), Cassy Schillo (props design), and Charles Riffenburg (graphic design) working alongside Stage Left company members Jessica Harpenau (lighting design), Adam Smith (sound design) Tara Malpass (stage management) and Kristin Steele (production management), with members of each company appearing in the cast. The production is directed by Stage Left Theatre's Artistic Director Vance Smith, with BoHo Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Peter Robel as Associate Director

"A lot of us at Stage Left have long been admirers of BoHo's work," says Artistic Director Vance Smith. "This partnership allows the two companies to learn from each other both artistically and administratively. In addition, The Combined resources of the two companies will enable us to produce this play at level that we may not have been able to individually."
Stage Left Theatre, now in its 31st season, has dedicated their season to examining the perceptions and expectations of women in society.

BoHo Theatre recently received national critical acclaim for its production of Floyd Collins at Theater Wit, with The Wall Street Journal calling it "a major event… I can't imagine a better revival." "BoHo is committed to crafting a process-driven experience for both our actors and artists," says BoHo Artistic Director Peter Marston Sullivan. "We bring that sensibility to our work in both the design meetings and the rehearsal room. Stage Left has established over 30 years of strong theatrical works, and we're hoping in this partnership to learn ways to grow in our process and reach new audiences as we move into BoHo's 10th season next year."

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