‘Mr. Shaw’ comes to Laguna Beach for world premiere

Tom Titus

Seventy years ago, during the heyday of Hollywood’s studio system,

George Bernard Shaw held a position in the realm of theater much like

Neil Simon enjoys today. And the silver screen proved a magnetic lure

for the celebrated dramatist.

When Shaw and his wife took a round-the-world tour in 1933, he

included the film capital on his itinerary. There he was wined and

dined by the best that Tinseltown had to offer -- Louis B. Mayer,

William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies, Clark Gable, John Barrymore

and Charlie Chaplin.

Seems the Hollywood folk wanted to turn Shaw’s “Pygmalion” into a

movie. The same “Pygmalion” that would -- a half-century later --

inspire Lerner and Loewe to create the musical “My Fair Lady.” What

transpired behind the scenes back in 1933 provided inspiration of

another sort -- Mark Saltzman’s new play “Mr. Shaw Goes to

Hollywood.”

This weekend, patrons at the Laguna Playhouse will be among the

first to glimpse Saltzman’s creation as “Mr. Shaw” unfolds in its

world premiere under the direction of Daniel Henning.

The story is told through the recollection of Charlotte Townsend

Shaw, the playwright’s wife, played by Mala Powers (discussed in this

space two weeks ago). Nicholas Coster, a Broadway and Hollywood

veteran Nicholas Coster, who’s received three Emmy nominations for

his work on the soap opera “Santa Barbara,” will assume the title

role.

Others in the Laguna cast are Peter Van Norden as Barrymore,

Steven Gilborn as Hearst, Glenn Taranto as Mayer, Carmen Thomas as

Marion Davies and J. Richey Nash as Gable. Martin G. James completes

the company in multiple assignments.

Playwright Saltzman has seven emmys on his mantel for his scripts

and songs as a writer on “Sesame Street.” His best-known stage play

is “The Tin Pan Alley Rag,” which also employs real people -- this

time songwriters Irving Berlin and Scott Joplin -- in a fictional

situation.

In “Mr. Shaw Goes to Hollywood,” Saltzman places the crusty Irish

playwright and social reformer in the company of the beautiful,

crass, charming, greedy and gregarious people around the lunch table

at MGM Studios. The possibilities for comedy appear limitless.

Saturday’s opening night is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., followed by

the usual post-show repast. Regular performances are 8 p.m. Tuesdays

through Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. The

show runs through May 4 and tickets are available at (949) 497-2787.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.