Getting Married

"Getting Married," the Bernard Shaw play which the Radcliffe Idlers successfully--revived last night, is what Shaw has called one of his disquisitory plays. As the title indicates, the subject the Master has taken under scrutiny is the modern institution of marriage; but, as is customary with Shaw, a great many other institutions--divorce, sex, the church, snobbery, to name a few--are also pulled gently but firmly apart. And, as is also usual with Shaw, he offers no solution or substitute but ends by fitting the broken pieces back together again. Shaw is not an anarchist; he has deftly pointed out the flaws in modern marriage, tough, of course, he has used his butcher's cleaver for the pointing. No one is likely to be leaving Agassiz Theater tonight or tomorrow night as a campaigner against marriage, but he still isn't likely to be cherishing any notions about it being all orange-blossoms and pink silk quilts, either.

It's no news that all of Shaw's plays are talky, and "Getting Married" is no exception. Neither is it any news that Shaw's talk is still the most stimulating, witty, and intelligent in the English speaking theater.

All of Shaw's familiar characters are included in "Getting Married"; the 'umble cockney, the stuffed-shirt army officer, the female crusaders, and others. Sidney Ball, as the greengrocer-alder man, gave a performance as polished and humorous as his h'accont Peter Davidson, who has a more difficult role as the defender of snobbery, delivered his lines with perfect force and finesse. In the role of the Bishop, John Simon also knew fully what he was about, possessed some articulate eyebrows, and except for a tendency to speak in a sing-song at times, gave a good performance. As the prayer-mumbling Sexton, Jerry Kohn was frequently very funny but sometimes gave the character a meaning outside Shaw's probable intention.

With their feminine players, the Idlers have a real gold mine. Very nicely decked out in some colorful Edwardian costumes, Connaught O'Connell and Lydia Hurd were properly biting and caustic as the staunch man-lover an man-loather, respectively. The Edith of Jane Johnson was reminiscent of Pamela Brown in "The Importance of Being Earnest," and Miss Johnson could hardly be paid a better compliment.

The Idlers have rooted out some splendid actors for this production, and their choice of play is ideal for this college community. "Getting Married" is probably as much fun as getting married--more, to hear Shaw talk.