UCF Theatre's production of George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman is perfectly in line with the playwright's intention to let capable women speak for themselves, while still wholeheartedly and wittily championing the cause of women's suffrage and of equal rights. There is a demonstrated understanding of Shaw's political satire and historical stance towards the movement, as well as clear design elements in the production to ensure the audience's understanding of the themes and messages conveyed in the original script, although this obscures perception that Shaw actually had about the movement. marriage and marriage equality. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Shaw was often noted as a champion of women's rights, a well-known liberal and respected playwright. However, in his own words, he believed that women were perfectly capable of fighting and defending themselves, not eager to take up arms and win battles for them. He simply showed support and provided material that allowed the audience to think a little deeper about the topic. However, when it came to mentioning the force-feeding of arrested suffragettes in prisons, Shaw made sure to write more direct and explicit cries of disapproval of these actions by his government. In these letters he wrote, he compared the denial of death to a form of torture. (Davison) Of course, Shaw's view on marriage was quite harsh and contrasted with what seems to be the outcome of this play in which almost all the characters find themselves in what are perceived as happy unions. Shaw was quoted in an article by Maria Popova stating that, "...when two people are under the influence of the most violent, the most insane, the most illusory, and the most transitory passion, they are bound to swear that they will remain in that condition excited, abnormal and exhausting continuously until death do them part. (Popova) So, with this in mind, why are we ultimately presented with such a positive and romantic comedic tone? And how does it compare to the original 1905 production? the show's cast, a lot was cut to fit Man and Superman into a short period of time of about two hours. One such act that was completely canceled is Don Juan in Hell, which serves as Shaw's sequel to Don Juan in which the title character proceeds to have a philosophical debate with the Devil All characters are played by the appropriate counterparts in the original work, John Tanner as Don Juan and so on (Shaw) This is where the slight alteration begins. For this reason, on first reflection it seems that both Anne and Jack were able to reach a pleasant middle ground while this third act would have left the audience with the feeling that Jack had somehow lost out, with the woman rising to prominence. through emotional manipulation. For Shaw, men do not take the initiative to marry. Instead, it was women who forced men to marry, which happened at the end of Man and Superman. The UCF production didn't eliminate this concept, but the removal of Act III makes it harder to draw the connections. The theater staff, made up mainly of students, is always helpful and cheerful. Of course, I have prejudices since many of them are colleagues and friends, so our greetings will be less typical than those of the average show audience. There was no traffic on this lazy Sunday afternoon, which made a descent possiblequiet so you can walk across campus and get through the doors with just over ten minutes to spare. However, I realized I had sat down a little too soon when the costumed characters came forward and started handing out leaflets for and against women's suffrage. I watched from afar, enjoying what snippets of improvised conversation I could while also falling prey to the highly appropriate sounds of turn-of-the-century tunes relating to women's rights. Overall, these were very positive starts to my experience and prepared me for a show that I was certain I wouldn't soon forget. If there's a neat way to describe how it all felt, it's that everything was neatly packaged together into a well-rounded package. The first most notable pieces that struck me at the start of the show were the lighting and sound. There was a sort of mysterious, smoky atmosphere as the song This is a Man's World screamed from the speakers to assist the lights bathing the stage in cool shades of blue and purple. This immediately made me realize that a song from the late 1960s had a connection to a play from the late 1800s, meaning that women have been suffering from oppression for longer than many realize. The environment opens into a studio, the lights remain static with a realistic expression of how the interior of a studio should be lit, making changes only for the truncated/altered second and third acts where we are transported outside to the rest on a “sunlit stage”. And again, only during scene changes are we introduced to the more relevant music of a more modern time, although apart from that sound plays less importance in the plot of the show. Upon the death of Ann's father, John Tanner and Roebuck Ramsden are assigned as her double wards, both of whom cannot stand the other person and struggle endlessly to convince Ann to choose one or the other. She obviously refuses, emotionally manipulating the men involved while toying with Jack in an attempt to force him to admit that he still strongly desires her both sexually and romantically. Our second and third acts focus on Octavius' sister as she sneaks with her secret American husband on a cross-country road trip behind her father's back until all parties must soon face their own secrets and insecurities. Jack agrees to marry Ann, Octavius ​​accepts heartbreak, Violet and Hector receive his father's blessing, and everyone seems relatively comfortable and comfortable with the outcome. The costume alone played a huge role in bringing audiences back to a time when "dressing up" was rarely a concept considering that even in the comfort and privacy of your own home there was a way you kept yourself presentable. All the women wore corsets and the men sported tailored suits and bow ties. One costume piece that struck me and was well thought out was Jack's costume change in the second act. His gloves, coat and glasses were a clever addition to the accuracy of the piece when taking into account the common use of uncovered vehicles as the expression of one created center stage. As for the set design, the most complex setup took place in the first act with Roebuck's study, the desk and chairs were the focal point of all the action that took place. Throughout the piece, projection walls served as stained glass windows or views into the interior. the outdoor landscape, used most creatively when showing images of women's suffrage or cartoons of the time. The characters moved and behaved believably.