Four-time Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad (A Doll's House, Part 2) stars as one of history's greatest heroines in a major new production of Bernard Shaw's epic work directed by Daniel Sullivan (Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes).
Set in 15th century France, Saint Joan follows a country girl whose mysterious visions propel her into elite circles. When the nation's rulers become threatened by her popularity and influence, they unite to bring her down and she finds herself on trial for her life. This timeless and powerful play dramatizes the limits of an individual in a society dominated by overwhelming political and religious forces.
On the surface, George Bernard Shaw's 'Saint Joan' is a great choice to produce now. In a sense, Joan of Arc was the ultimate feminist in an ultra-patriarchal world, and she certainly paid the price for her convictions. But while the Manhattan Theatre Club's timely selection of this great play raises high expectations, the production falls a bit short.
Any production of the play thus hangs on how the director and star decide to deal with the negatively defined presence at its center. In Daniel Sullivan's thoughtful if mostly becalmed staging at the Samuel J. Friedman Theater on Broadway, he and Condola Rashad, his chipper Joan, stick close to the author's brief. Their Maid of Orleans is, as Shaw writes in the play's preface, 'a born boss.'
1923 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1936 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1951 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1956 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1968 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1977 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1993 | Broadway |
Broadway |
2013 | Off-Broadway |
Theatre Bedlam Production Off-Broadway |
2018 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Broadway Revival Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Condola Rashad |
2018 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Condola Rashad |
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