My Fair Lady

Note From the Dramaturg Metamorphoses , Ovids first-century collection of Roman myths, tells the story of Pygmalion, a man who sculpts his perfect woman out of ivory and begins to falls in love with the statue. On the feast of Venus, he prays to the goddess of love, and in answer to the prayer, his ideal woman comes to life. Centuries later, in 1913, the controversial and popular Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw retells the ancient myth in his play Pygmalion. However, in Shaw’s version, the sculptor, Henry Higgins, finds that his creation, Eliza Doolittle, has a mind of her own. The playwright’s concern for social reform shines through in Eliza’s realization of worth regardless of her social class. In 1956, lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe turned Shaw’s Pygmalion into a hit musical, made the ending more upbeat, and called it My Fair Lady. It broke the record for number of performances on Broadway and was named “Outstanding Musical of the Year” by the New York Drama Critics Circle. The popular film version, released in 1964, won eight Academy Awards. The story of Eliza and Henry still speaks to audiences today on the importance of education, the hope of transformation, and the value of all human beings. — Renee Cuenin, Dramaturg Note From the Director At the core of My Fair Lady he the themes of fresh beginnings and changed hearts. Henry Higgins offers Eliza a new life, which she embraces wholeheardedly. Her unexpected gift to him is that, in becoming a beautiful, independent woman, she opens up a new place in his heart. The one gift he realizes he hasn’t given her — one that she truly deserves — is respect. And so he, too, is transformed. He learns to love, not because of what he taught Eliza but because of who she is. Rehearsing My Fair Lady has reminded me that we all have the chance to make a difference in our world. Alpha Psi Omega, our student theatre organization, is coordinating your donation of items for CitiLookout, a nonprofit, faith-based counseling agency in Springfield. These personal and household items, which cannot be purchased with food stamps, will be used by CitiLookout to stock the Loaves and Fishes Pantry for those struggling to meet basic needs. “We meet people like Eliza every day,” shared Shelley Lopez, executive director of CitiLookout. “Your contribution reaches further than you can imagine.” If you were not able to donate an item but would like to make a monetary gift, you may do so at the APO concession stand. On behalf of APO and our cast and crew, thank you for supporting CitiLookout in helping others reclaim their lives, restore their marriages, and build confidence in their children. Enjoy the show! — Rebecca Baker, Director PLAYONWORDS has been prepared by the production dramaturg and is available without charge at the concessions booth in the theatre lobby. Fundingfo r PLAYONWORDS isprovided by Alpha Psi Omega, the Cedarville University chapter o f the National Honorary Theatre Society. These extensively researchedguides areprovided in order to in axase understandingfo r each production and serve as an excellent resourcefo r student teachers, language and literature majors, homeschoolers, and all who share ourpassion fo r theatre.