Mrs. Warren's Profession

Mrs. Warren’s Profession (1883) was first collected in Plays Pleasant and Unpleasant, where Shaw classifies it as one of his “unpleasant” plays. And, boy, is Shaw ever right. Partly, this is because of the theme of the play: women are drawn into prostitution because of economic necessity, not because......more

1893 Shaw play about how economic systems create prostitution. The play was banned for several years and Shaw with a wink published it in a collection of his "unpleasant" plays that point to Victorian hypocrisy. Vivie Warren has been given every economic advantage by her mother, Kitty. She gets an a......more

The Oldest Profession 26 January 2018 – Kuala Lumpar Fortunately I have discovered that there are a couple of versions of this play on Youtube, one of them having been viewed over twenty-five thousand times (I believe that it is a performance), so when I have a bit more time, since I am currently ou......more

Of the Shaw I read in my short stint as a dramaturg, this was my favorite. It bears all his hallmarks: feisty women choosing between an artist and a businessman, a basic farcical British romance plot, a hypocritical priest, lots of quipping about philosophy, and attempts to make the characters vivid......more

4 stars A funny readable play with hard truths and biting critiques. Absolutely radical. I loved it, and I’m dying to read more Shaw after this one.......more