Book Description
Why does such a large proportion of the criticism devoted to Shavian drama deal with such a surprisingly small number of plays? Of Shaw's more than fifty works for the stage, few are looked at and many deserve closer attention. This volume, dealing with pieces of lesser prominence in the canon, aims to enrich our sense of the range and depth of Shaw's achievement as a playwright. Contributors to Shaw 7 have construed neglect broadly to include dramas slighted on the stage, on the page, or both. Fresh perspectives are offered on two dozen full-length and shorter plays ranging from The Philanderer (1893) to Shakes Versus Shav. The Neglected Plays presents the latest work by such well-known critics as Charles A. Berst (on The Man of Destiny), Frederick P.W. McDowell (on You Never Can Tell), and Barbara Bellow Watson (on The Apple Cart) as well as essays by promising younger scholars on plays such as Passion, Poison, and Petrifaction and Buoyant Billions. A collection of newspaper pieces revives no less an expert than Shaw himself on the subject of his own neglected plays. Finally, an exhaustive bibliographical article by Charles A. Carpenter points toward possibilities for future research. Shaw 7: The Neglected Plays challenges some established critical assumptions, in the process revealing Shaw to be a far more self-conscious modernist than is usually supposed. The book will be of interest not just to professional Shavians, but also to all who share a love for the modern theater.
