Writer: George Bernard Shaw
Director: Fran Teague

George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man is Shaw’s funniest play. Lovely Raina idealizes her fiancé, a heroic soldier, despises the enemy soldier who begs her to save his life. After the war, both the enemy and her fiancé return. Raina meets them both with arguments that spark and love-making that sparkles. Laughs and ideas battle it out for the lady’s favor.

The four leads are Patrick Najjar as the Chocolate Cream Soldier, Captain Bluntschli. He fills his cartridge case with chocolates instead of cartridges. Rebekah Lecocq is Raina, the most eligible young lady in Bulgaria and is engaged to the most eligible bachelor in Bulgaria. Mark Taylor as Major Saranoff, a soldier who always charges and never withdraws, handsome, courageous, and apt to flirt with the maid. Julia Wilson, as Louka the maid who refuses to play second fiddle to Raina or any other woman. The rest of the cast includes Kris Schultz as Catherine Petkoff, Skip Hulett as Paul Petkoff, and Alan Hickerson as Nicola. 

Fran Teague has directed many shows at Town and Gown. Her most recent productions at Town and Gown have been Twelfth Night and Under Milkwood,” She is a professor in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies with a joint appointment in the Department of English. She is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor. She teaches performance history and theory. Her special areas of interest are Renaissance drama, dramaturgy, and early women writers. She has written or edited nine books. 

Teague says, “I love Shaw, who was about a century ahead of his time. Arms and the Man really plays with ideas about war and love, and it makes me laugh and think.” 

Covid Information: 

For the safety of our community, Town & Gown requires all cast and crew members to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. All audience members attending in-person shows will be required to show proof of vaccination and wear a mask whenever inside the theater.  

Arms and the Man is presented by T&G with performances held May 13 and 14 at 8 PM and May 15 at 2:00 PM at the Athens Community Theater (115 Grady Avenue, Athens, GA 30601). Tickets are $5 and can be purchased online at www.townandgownplayers.org. There will be no onsite ticket sales.