A new production of George Bernard Shaw’s "Heartbreak House" is currently being staged at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, offering a nuanced revival of the playwright’s complex and politically charged work. Directed by Antaeus Artistic Director Nike Doukas, the play runs through November 16.
Written during World War I, "Heartbreak House" captures the anxious mood of pre-war Europe, using the metaphor of a country manor that symbolizes a nation—or “ship of state”—drifting toward disaster. Shaw completed the play amid the bombardment of England by German zeppelins, shaping its narrative as a critique of the complacency and recklessness of the upper classes as war loomed.
The production employs a simple yet elegant scenic design by Angela Balogh Calin, favoring an English country house setting over the ship-like atmosphere Shaw originally intended. This choice focuses attention on the dialogue, which is rich in wit and philosophical reflection. The play’s structure follows a free-form, almost musical rhythm, marked by fast-paced exchanges and intellectual gamesmanship.
Central to the story is Ellie Dunn, portrayed by Elinor Gunn, a young woman exposed to unvarnished truths during her stay at the titular Heartbreak House. Gunn’s performance brings a blend of youthful vigor and thoughtful insight to her character’s journey. Opposite her, Harry Groener delivers a standout portrayal of Captain Shotover, an 88-year-old retired sea captain and inventor who embodies a disillusioned but fundamentally wise voice in the narrative.
The cast also includes Carolyn Ratteray as Lady Utterwood, Shotover’s daughter who returns home after more than two decades abroad, grappling with her father’s bluntness and the contrast between her bourgeois upbringing and the bohemian environment she left. Jocelyn Towne plays Hesione Hushabye, who resides at Heartbreak House alongside her ineffectual husband Hector, played by Henri Lubatti. Hesione’s motivations include steering Ellie away from a financially secure but emotionally empty marriage to Boss Mangan, a character that Bernard Addison portrays as a symbol of predatory capitalism.
Additional characters flesh out the social dynamics—Arye Gross as Mazzini Dunn, the innocent father of Ellie; Alex Barlas as Randall Utterwood, whose aristocratic idleness masks deeper passions; Amelia White as Nurse Guinness, the pragmatic caretaker of the household; and Alberto Isaac as a burglar whose criminal actions stir unexpected consequences.
The production’s minimalist set and nautical allusions allow dialogue to take center stage, emphasizing the play’s themes of societal decay and the failure of elites to confront looming catastrophe. Doukas’s direction maintains a lively pace, balancing the play’s episodic nature with coherent thematic development.
At its core, "Heartbreak House" explores the relationship between Ellie and Captain Shotover, whose philosophical exchanges illuminate Shaw’s concern with the cultivation of the soul amidst material and political turmoil. The play ultimately poses enduring questions about how individuals and societies navigate uncertain times, underscoring Shaw’s ambivalence toward the characters he both ridicules and admires for their nonconformity.
This production invites audiences to reflect on parallels between the early 20th century and the present day, as society grapples again with instability and change. Tickets are available through the Antaeus Theatre Company website or by phone, with performances running approximately two hours and 40 minutes including an intermission.