Arms And The Man

Arms And The Man
by Bernard Shaw

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From AudioFile
ARMS AND THE MAN questions the false notions of war and love in Bulgaria and Russia in 1885. L.A. Theatre Works tries hard to honor Shaw in this production. Unfortunately, it does not succeed. Weak characterizations are at the heart of the problem as the actors lack any accent (Bulgarian, Russian, or British) and end up sounding simply American. Anne Heche's portrayal of Raina is disturbingly high pitched and breathy. Jeremy Sisto as Bluntschli possesses a deep voice with no energy, varied tones, or distinct qualities. Teri Garr as Catherine sounds as American as apple pie, a characterization that does not suit her Bulgarian character at all. This audio presentation is not up to the high standards of L.A. Theatre Works. M.R.E. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
Arms and the Man is a comedy written by George Bernard Shaw, and was first produced in 1894 and published in 1898, and has become on the the most popular plays of George Bernard Shaw. Like his other works, Arms and the Man questions conventional values and uses war and love as his satirical targets. This edition of Arms and the Man is in the form of a paperback book.

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To the irreverent - and which of us will claim entire exemption from that comfortable classification? - there is something very amusing in the attitude of the orthodox criticism toward Bernard Shaw. He so obviously disregards all the canons and unities and other things which every well-bred dramatist is bound to respect that his work is really unworthy of serious criticism (orthodox). Indeed he knows no more about the dramatic art than, according to his own story in "The Man of Destiny," Napoleon at Tavazzano knew of the Art of War. But both men were successes each in his way - the latter won victories and the former gained audiences, in the very teeth of the accepted theories of war and the theatre. Shaw does not know that it is unpardonable sin to have his characters make long speeches at one another, apparently thinking that this embargo applies only to long speeches which consist mainly of bombast and rhetoric. There never was an author who showed less predilection for a specific medium by which to accomplish his results. He recognized, early in his days, many things awry in the world and he assumed the task of mundane reformation with a confident spirit. It seems such a small job at twenty to set the times aright. He began as an Essayist, but who reads essays now-a-days? - he then turned novelist with no better success, for no one would read such preposterous stuff as he chose to emit. He only succeeded in proving that absolutely rational men and women - although he has created few of the latter - can be most extremely disagreeable to our conventional way of thinking.

About the Author
George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950), one of the most prolific writers of the modern theater, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925.

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