I Think She’s Got It
Rare revival of early Shaw
that prefi gured “Pygmalion”
Teresa Avia Lim, Robert Cuccioli, and Rajesh Bose in the Gingold Theatrical Group’s revival of George
Bernard Shaw’s “Caesar & Clepatra,” directed by David Staller, at Theatre Row through October 12.
BY DAVID KENNERLEY
Perhaps the most beloved
of George Bernard Shaw’s
plays — he wrote 65 of
them — is “Pygmalion,”
which traces the transformation
of a coarse fl ower girl from Covent
Garden into a fi ne, cultured lady.
But more than a decade earlier,
he created “Caesar & Cleopatra,”
which explored similar themes of
mentorship, metamorphosis, and
self-actualization.
Although well received when the
play debuted in 1906 and in subsequent
productions starring such
theater royalty as Helen Hayes,
Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh,
and John Gielgud, “Caesar & Cleopatra”
has long since fallen out of
favor. The 1977 Broadway revival
bombed. Not only is the subject
matter, loosely based on historical
events circa 40 BC, too remote for
modern audiences, but the drama
is laden with stilted period language
and a labored, chunky plot
nearly impossible to digest. The
work has not seen a full New York
production in more than four decades.
Until now.
If anyone can make sense of this
overwrought material, it’s the stalwart
folks at the Gingold Theatrical
Group, dedicated to all things
THEATER
CAROL ROSEGG
Shavian. Founding artistic director
David Staller has freshly reconceived
the play, guided by Shaw’s
own notes and letters.
The drama, now playing at Theatre
Row, has been stripped down
to its essentials, eschewing spectacle
to focus on characterization.
This version also highlights the
student-teacher dynamic between
the callow Cleopatra and wise Caesar,
who schools her in the ways of
becoming a refi ned yet formidable
queen. And yes, as in “Pygmalion,”
the roles get fl ipped, with the
teacher realizing he has learned
from his pupil as well.
The knotty plot refl ects Shaw’s
obsession with classical history
and humanitarian ideals. Julius
Caesar (an excellent Robert Cuccioli)
meets the 20-year old Egyptian
queen (Teresa Avia Lim) in Alexandria,
in the midst of a power
struggle with Ptolemy, her younger
brother and husband (that’s how
they rolled back then). More than
twice her age, Caesar recognizes
she is “born to rule” and must
snatch the throne from her brother
by upping her game. He proceeds
to teach her how to comport herself
to project authority. There’s even a
“Rain in Spain stays mainly in the
➤ CAESAR & CLEOPATRA, continued on p.33
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