VILLAGE WOOING to Bring Gender-Neutral Shaw Revival to Gingold Theatrical Group

Gingold Theatrical Group has announced Village Wooing, a special Salon Presentation of George Bernard Shaw's sparkling romantic comedy. Newly adapted and directed by David Staller, Village Wooing will be presented at The House of the Redeemer (7 East 95th Street), a historic landmarked mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side, for four performances only, October 22-25, 2026.

For this special engagement, GTG will present a new gender-neutral adaptation of Shaw's text. The adaptation opens the roles-identified simply as 'A' and 'Z' in Shaw's original-to performers of any gender, illuminating the play's contemporary resonance while preserving the wit, intelligence, and emotional intricacy of Shaw's language.

Written in 1933, Village Wooing is one of Shaw's most intimate, romantic, and quietly profound late works. Two resolutely independent people, each determined to remain single, meet aboard a pleasure cruise. Their conversation-at first accidental, then increasingly irresistible-continues through two later encounters as argument becomes attraction and an unlikely courtship begins to take shape. This rarely seen play is filled with Shaw's characteristic wit, intellectual combat, and emotional surprise.

'Village Wooing is Shaw at his most playful, intimate, and unexpectedly romantic,' said Artistic Director David Staller. 'It is a delicious battle between two people who are certain they know exactly what they want-until they meet someone who makes them see the world in a completely different way. By opening the roles to actors of any gender, we can focus even more clearly on what makes the play so enduring: the exhilarating danger of allowing another person to change your life. And I can imagine no more inviting setting for this encounter than the beautifully atmospheric library of The House of the Redeemer.'

Casting for Village Wooing will be announced at a later date.

Village Wooing will be presented as a Salon Presentation: an intimate theatrical event inspired by the great literary salons, bringing exceptional performers and a small audience together in an elegant and unusually personal setting.

Proceeds from Village Wooing will directly support GTG's continuing artistic programs, including its celebrated Project Shaw reading series, the Speakers' Corner new-play development program, and its Off-Broadway productions.

The performance schedule is Thursday, October 22, through Saturday, October 24, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, October 25, at 3 p.m.

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