Midsummer Magazine 2007 - Utah Shakespearean Festival

June 26–August 30Randall L. Jones TheatreCandida:A CenturyOld, but StillCurrentBy Claudia HarrisAT THE BEGINNING OFCandida, George Bernard Shaw(1856–1950) has ProserpineGarnett exclaim, “Candida here, andCandida there, and Candida everywhere! It’senough to drive anyone out of their sensesto hear a perfectly commonplace womanraved about in that absurd manner merelybecause she’s got good hair, and a tolerablefigure” (Four Plays by Bernard Shaw [NewYork: Washington Square Press, 1965] 89).With those frustrated words from the plain,unmarried secretary of Candida’s husband,Shaw underscores the central focus of theplay. Certainly, none of the men thinkShaw’s title character is commonplace;for her husband, father, and two youthfuladmirers, she lives up to the name Candida,a name no doubt derived from candidus,Joe Cronin (left) as Theodore Swanson andAnne Newhall as Aaronetta Gibbs inMorning’s at Seven, 2004