OVERVIEW

• Playwright

  George Bernard (GB) Shaw 

• Setting

  (i) Garden of Eden, 4004 BC (ii) A study overlooking Hampstead Heath, 1920 (iii)Official parlour of the President of the British Isles, 2170 AD (iv) Burrin pier on the south shore of Galway Bay, Ireland, 30,000 AD. Later: an ornate temple. (v) A sunlit glade with an altar, 31920 AD.

• Synopsis

  A series of five short plays on the subject of the evolution of man: (i) In the Beginning (ii) Gospel of Brothers Barnabas (iii)The Thing Happens (iv) Tragedy of an Elderly Gentleman (v) As Far as Thought Can Reach

• Play Type

  Plays General
  

  Number Of Acts

  Series of short individual plays

Cast size

• Male

  24

• Female

  19

• Total

  43

• Cast Notes

  Cast doubling required. Numbers here are from 1924 Royal Court production.

Original Production

• Date of First Production

  20 February 1923

• Producer

  Produced by Theatre Guild

• Original Venue

  Garrick Theatre
  

• Irish Premiere Notes

  The play was performed in a cycle, with the first third performed for a week from February 20, and the subsequent sections over the following two weeks.

Source Of Information

Information here is from a preview and a review (of the first two parts only) published in the New York Times, February 28, 1922.