UST-CSC Theater Department presents 'Mrs. Warren's Profession' April 9-13
The joint Theater Department of the University of St. Thomas and the College of St. Catherine will present the George Bernard Shaw's 1893 play, "Mrs. Warren's Profession," at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, April 9-12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 13, in Frey Theater on the campus of the College of St. Catherine, 2004 Randolph Ave.
Tickets are $5 for general admission and free to students, faculty and staff with ID from the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Augsburg College, Macalester College and Hamline University). Seating is limited; reservations will be taken at The O'Shaughnessy Ticket Office at St. Catherine, (651) 690-6700.
"Mrs. Warren's Profession" examines the hypocrisy surrounding the world's oldest profession. Shaw said he wrote the play "to draw attention to the truth that prostitution is caused, not by female depravity and male licentiousness, but simply by underpaying, undervaluing, and overworking women so shamefully that the poorest of them are forced to resort to prostitution to keep body and soul together."
The story centers on Vivie Warren, a brilliant young university student, who comes face-to-face with the reality of her mother's way of life: Mrs. Warren is a "madam."
"Although the play was written more than a century ago, its contemporary relevance is apparent in recent headlines about the clandestine affairs of politicians and celebrities," said UST-CSC theater professor Dr. Amelia Kritzer, who directs this production. "Shaw exposed the lies and compromises beneath the surface of the strict morality of the Victorian Age. As we see this play today, we can question whether our own age has left such attitudes behind."
Cast members include St. Catherine students Maretta Babler and Laura Hoover as Vivie Warren and Mrs. Warren, respectively, and St. Thomas students Bridget Mueting (as Miss Praed), Patrick Gustafson (as Sir George Crofts), John Hartberg (as Frank Gardner) and Steven Broszko (as Rev. Samuel Gardner). St. Thomas freshman Mary Gustafson is stage manager, and St. Catherine senior Mickaylee Shaughnessy is dramaturge. Several students, including Babler, Mueting and St. Thomas student Molly O'Gara, have assisted in the construction of period costumes for the production.
