WE LOVED SHARING THIS EVENT WITH YOU!
Don’t Miss Our Next One On Monday, April 14th!
Monday, March 17
Date and time
Monday, March 17 · 7 – 9pm EDT
Followed by a scintillating Post Show Discussion!
Location
THE PLAYERS
16 Gramercy Park South
New York, NY 10003
(20th Street between Park and Third Avenues)
Join us as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary by returning to the place where Gingold was born, The Players!
It’s also St. Patrick’s Day! So wear your best green as we sing Danny Boy together!
In 1906, George Bernard Shaw tackled a timeless debate of medicine and morality – how do doctors make ethical choices regarding the treatment of their patients? Do doctors prefer to take on and treat wealthy patients, rather than the poor? What are the ethics of such a decision? In The Doctor’s Dilemma, Sir Colenso Ridgeon has made a breakthrough discovery in the treatment of tuberculosis. However, because of the expense of this treatment, he has a limited number of patients that he can treat. Enter the beautiful Jennifer Dubedat, an enchanting woman whose husband is ill with tuberculosis. She begs Sir Colenso to save him, and so begins the doctor’s dilemma: The young man is a talented artist, but morally dubious character (and Sir Colenso is in love with his wife) – yet an old friend of the doctor’s, a poor man with little social value, needs treatment as well. Who does Sir Colenso save? And why? In this problem play, rife with satire and social commentary, Shaw tackles questions of moral responsibility as well as referencing new scientific and medical discoveries.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE PLAY ONLINE!
Our Brilliant Cast:
Jennifer Dubedat … NADIA BROWN
Sir Collenso Ridgeon … ROBERT CUCCIOLI
Louis Dubedat … DAVID LEE HUYNH
Sir Ralph Bloomfield Bonington … SIMON JONES
Dir Patrick Cullen … NICK WYMAN
Dr Cutler Wolpole … GEORGE DVORSKY
Dr Leo Schutzmacher … ROCCO SISTO
Dr. Blenkinsop … JAMES RANA
Emmy and Narrator TWO … JUDY GOLD
Minnie, Journalist, Miss Danby, Narrator ONE … STEFANIA GONZALEZ
Directed by DAVID STALLER
ALL GENERAL SEATING!
For reserved VIP seating please phone the Gingold office: 212.355.7823
ALL OF PROJECT SHAW EVENTS ARE UNIQUE SCRIPT-IN-HAND PERFORMANCES!
NO REFUNDS. NO EXCHANGES.
SOME THOUGHTS FROM DIRECTOR, DAVID STALLER
George Bernard Shaw claimed that this play was written on a challenge from critic and friend, William Archer, who claimed that as Shaw continued to carve his career as a playwright, he would never be taken seriously until he had written a memorable Death Scene. The prospect was particularly amusing to Shaw, and you will soon witness his typically unrepentant comedic approach. When the play was put on for its initial presentation in 1906, he added this quote to the program (which he had previously included in his drafts of The Devil’s Disciple) and so enjoyed it he eventually included it in his published version: “ Life does not cease to be funny when people die, any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.”
Growing up as an extremely disenfranchised poor Dubliner with little education or hope for any of life’s prospects, Shaw was deeply suspicious of the medical profession, particularly given its own brand of elitism and general disregard for patients not in the upper level of society. His initial concern was about supplying medications to the general public without proper scientific research, particularly since what was then referred to as Modern Science became obsolete on an almost daily basis. When vaccinations were first introduced, he interpreted the race to jab as a self-serving mercenary move by the physicians. Doctors were being regularly knighted simply for offering the prospect of having invented the latest medical fad. As time passed and actual cures were being created saving thousands of lives, he quickly altered his perspective. Remember that he wrote this play in 1906 and stayed very much aware and alive until 1950. One of Shaw’s most ardent causes was the abusive use of animals in medical research. You’ll also note his inclusion of the disenfranchised in this world.
There are so many potent issues raised in this, his 17th of 65 plays, that we could spend hours examining them all. We won’t! But do please feel free to reach out to us with any thoughts, insights, or questions. We love to learn from you!