I don't know about you, but to my mind, George Bernard Shaw's plays always seem like a philosophical dissertation in search of a drama. Characters talk and talk and talk, but the outcome always seems the same, no matter where the play would end during its run. That said, the Irish Rep's revival of Shaw's Don Juan In Hell seems more than ideal. Staged as a reading and starring four old-time pros, this is a sit-down production that truly lets you experience the words in every sense.
A vast improvement over the Roundabout's dreadful Arms And The Man earlier this year, Don Juan does make us wonder whether theatergoers will feel cheated by the lack of, well, theater going on. It is an elegant way to revive a show, and the actors are all terrific, especially Fritz Weaver, who is acerbic and commanding as the title character. Yet two intermission-less hours of wonderful actors reading fairly dry text can get tedious, and only the truly patient will find it rewarding. But to say it isn't rewarding is untrue, especially if you love hearing classic plays read by people who actually know how to deliver the dialogue.
