Heartbreak House (Antaeus Theatre Company's 2026 Production) Theatre Review

Isn't it interesting that a play written a hundred years ago during very specific circumstances can speak so strongly to us and feel so relevant to our times? It does make one wonder whether humanity has progressed at all, or if it is even capable of it. George Bernard Shaw believed that progress was impossible without change. Have we changed at all in the last century? He wrote Heartbreak House during the Great War, the war to end all wars, a time when the world went a bit sideways. And though the play takes place during the war, the characters are all completely disconnected from it, unengaged, until the very end, and instead focus on their own internal struggles and relations. To our delight, George Bernard Shaw finds great humor in that, which makes the play thoroughly enjoyable as well as thought-provoking.

The Antaeus Theatre Company's new production of Heartbreak House, which had its official opening last night, features a strong cast, including Elinor Gunn as Ellie Dunn, Harry Groener as Captian Shotover, Henri Lubatti as Hector Hushabye, Jocelyn Towne as Hesione Hushabye, Carolyn Ratteray as Lady Utterword, Arye Gross as Mazzini Dunn, Bernard Addison as Boss Mangan, Alex Barlas as Randall Utterword, Amelia White as Nurse Guinness, and Alberto Isaac as the unexpected guest. It is directed by Nike Doukas, who directed the fun 2023 production of The Tempest (which featured the great Peter Van Norden as Prospero). As the performance begins, Ellie is asleep on the couch, a book on her lap, only to be wakened by Nurse Guinness. But it seems she is wakened into a dream, or perhaps a nightmare. She says that it has surprised her that no one seems to have expected her, to which Nurse Guinness replies, "You'll get used to it, miss." The line gets a big laugh, in part because of Amelia White's wonderful delivery, but it's also a bit frightening, this idea of being invited to a place where no one expects you to show up, or acknowledges that you have, and where you shouldn't expect that to change. This production does a splendid job of establishing that sort of atmosphere. The lighting in the opening moments before Nurse Guinness' entrance, is one of shadows, like we are drifting into night. That twilight area, where most such nightmares and strangeness occur. The lighting design, by the way, is by Karyn D. Lawrence, and the scenic designer is Angela Balogh Calin.

The house itself is likened to a ship. Early on, Captain Shotover mentions how Ellie has been "deposited in the poop," At hearing that, Ellie glances around, as if to see what precisely he means. This adds to both the humor and the nightmarish vibe, having one's surrounding described in ways that make little sense to that person but are perfectly clear to everyone else, so that reality itself is questioned. Elinor Gunn (who was fantastic as Imogen in last year's production of Cymbeline) does a remarkable job as Ellie. And as outsiders too, we in the audience quickly relate to her, quickly align ourselves with her. Interestingly, when Lady Utterword, the captain's other daughter, arrives, she finds herself treated in a way similar to Ellie, with no one to welcome her, no one expecting her. And yet she says it is just the same as it was two decades ago when she left. That also adds to the peculiar vibe of the place, and fits in with the idea of progress being impossible without change. On her "grow old, like other people," Lady Utterword tries to take her father's arm, to show they are in the same boat, so to speak, but isn't quite successful, a really nice touch. And as in a nightmare, one's identity is under question. Lady Utterword is not recognized at first, or at least is not acknowledged as herself. And Mazzini Dunn is taken to be a pirate and thief and murderer named Billy Dunn. "I hope nobody here believes that I am a thief, a pirate or a murderer," he says at one point. It's just not a matter of being secure in one's own identity, but having it acknowledged, validated by others.

Hesione Hushabye, upon entering, is a delightful ball of energy, immediately recognizing and embracing her friend Ellie but not her own sister. Both Elinor Gunn and Jocelyn Towne are wonderful as they talk about Ellie's father and poverty. The book that Ellie was reading when she fell asleep turns out to be Othello, and so there is a discussion of jealousy, with Ellie opining that it must have been a wonderful experience for Desdemona to be with a man of adventures. Hesione offers that Othello was telling Desdemona lies, dishonesty being another important element in this story, with most of the characters engaging in one form of dishonesty or another. And around that time, Ellie admits that she is love with a man other than the one she's to marry. And interestingly, that man is full of lies himself, grand stories without truth in them. Even his name is a lie. To Ellie, he is known as Marcus Darnley. To Hesione, who is the man's wife, he is known as Hector. When Hector enters, the delivery of his line "I had no idea you knew my wife" is hilarious. And regarding the ability to love a liar, Hesione offers this nugget: "Otherwise there wouldn't be much love in the world." That line receives a great laugh. This scene, and nearly the entire play, provides continual laughter, but within that laughter and within those lines are some serious troubles. 

During that discussion, Ellie suddenly blurts out, "There is something odd about this house." As I mentioned earlier, there is a dream-like quality to the play. Several characters at various times express a desire, even an intention, to leave the house, but not one does. Perhaps no one is able to, not even Mangan, who boasts that he is the sort of man who follows through on everything he sets out to do. The house is described as a boat, presumably controlled by Captain Shotover, but he walks in and out of the main room so often that we can't be sure. And the house itself seems to represent the country of England. Who is in control? Where is it heading? At one point, Hector says, "This soul's prison we call England," and again we think of Shakespeare, that line reminding us of Hamlet's declaration that "Denmark's a prison." And the line seems to make perfect sense, the house being a place that no one has been able to leave. In fact, there is an eerie feeling that the only way out might be through the dynamite that Captain Shotover stores. It is Hector who explains what it is for: "To blow up the human race if it goes too far." Again, it is a humorous line, and Henri Lubatti does a delightful job with it, but the human race certain did go too far during World War I. And so the play's lines about how life-saving devices won't bring in the kind of money that would an invention to wipe out half the population stand out to us. These lines and the presence of dynamite lead us to expect some violence before the end. 

The entire cast is strong, everyone shining in different moments. Bernard Addison, for example, is especially good as Boss Mangan when explaining why he is not kind-hearted. It is the character you'd expect to be the least human, and so when he ends up being all too human, he is riveting. And Arye Gross is excellent when defending Mangan and when speaking of the strength of his daughter. It is in him that we see the most genuine affection and warmth. And there is a funny moment when he thinks he may have killed the instruder, funny after all his earlier insistence that he is not a murderer (but he was right; he isn't). And the intruder, played by Alberto Isaac, brings a different kind of humor to the house, a thief whose plan is to not really steal anything but to get caught. He is particularly good in his interactions with Nurse Guinness. Perhaps the most delightful performance is by Carolyn Ratteray as Lady Utterword, and she is especially magnificent in the scene where she manages Randall. I bet I missed some lines because of all the laughter of the audience. Alex Barlas, who did a wonderful job as Jim O' Connor in last year's production of The Glass Menagerie, is also quite funny in his "handling" scene. And at the center and heart of the piece is Harry Groener as Captain Shotever. Early on, he provides most of the humor, with a delightfully straight delivery of some biting and hilarious lines. And as the play goes on, he is the person Ellie turns to for advice. And thus so do we in the audience. We are drawn to him, in part because of Harry Groener's performance, even while we question his judgment, acknowledging, for example, the sad cynicism of his line "One rock is as good as another to be wrecked on." And also the truth of it. 

This production of Heartbreak House runs through November 16, 2026. Visit the company's website for the complete schedule. There is one intermission. The theatre is located at 110 East Broadway in Glendale, California.

Shakespeare References in Bridget Jones's Diary

Helen Fielding's novel Bridget Jones's Diary contains a few Shakespeare references. The first is a mention of Shakespeare himself: "All it means in this day and age is that a whole generation of people only get to know the great works of literature - Austen, Eliot, Dickens, Shakespeare, and so on - through the television" (p. 86). That's followed by a reference to Othello: "Bridget is one of these people who thinks the moment when the screen goes back on Blind Date is on par with Othello's 'hurl my soul from heaven' soliloquy" (p. 87). There is also a character named Desdemona. The book also mentions A Midsummer Night's Dream: "their expressions of angst merely brief and fleeting which say, 'Ought we to be at an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream?'" (p. 129). And there is a reference to Hamlet: "Arthur Smith's Hamlet is completely booked up so we could go to the Coen brothers instead at five" (p. 173).

Bridget Jones's Diary was published in 1996. It was first published in the United States in 1998. The copy I read is from 2001.

Shakespeare References in My Lucky Stars

Shirley MacLaine's My Lucky Stars: A Hollywood Memoir contains a few Shakespeare references. The first two are to the same line from The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth, Falstaff's "The better part of valor is discretion, in the which better part I have saved my life." MacLaine writes, "The better part of valor would be to have no opinion rather than risk disagreement, because disagreement meant time, and time was money, and it was therefore all so wearisome" (pages 10-11). And then she writes, "So the better part of valor for both is just to jump in and hope for the best" (pages 118-119). The book also mentions Kiss Me Kate, an adaptation of The Taming Of The Shrew: "But I remembered that Fosse had danced in a vignette with Carol Haney in Kiss Me Kate" (p. 157). MacLaine also mentions the sonnets: "Sometimes he would drink too much as he recited by heart sonnets of Shakespeare" (p. 295). And there is a reference to Hamlet: "There is an invisible harmony underlying my life and there always has been, as I believe there is in all lives. Our task is to sense it and be true to it. 'There is a divinity that shapes our ends - rough hew them how we will,' said Hamlet" (p. 367). Hamlet speaks those lines to Horatio in Act V Scene ii.

My Lucky Stars: A Hollywood Memoir was published in 1995. The paperback edition was published in December 1996.

Shakespeare References in Acting: The First Six Lessons

It probably comes as no surprise that a book on acting contains several Shakespeare references. Richard Boleslavsky's Acting: The First Six Lessons uses bits from several Shakespeare plays to illustrate its lessons. The book is presented as dialogue between a student referred to as "The Creature" and Richard, who is identified as "I." The first of Shakespeare's plays to be mentioned is King Lear. When I asks The Creature what she played, she responds, "King Lear" (p. 18). And when he asks which part she played, she answers, "King Lear himself" (p. 18). She goes on to say: "Our professor is very strict. He himself worked with me on King Lear" (p. 19). "I" asks, "But can you tell me how your professor, when working on King Lear, wanted you to play these lines for instance: 'Blow winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!'" (p. 19). The Creatures responds, in part: "Then, as though cursing heaven, as loud as possible pronounce the words: 'Blow winds and crack your cheeks! Rage! Blow!'" (p. 19). Richard replies, "Thank you, that is quite enough for a clear understanding of the part of King Lear, as well as for a definition of your talent" (p. 19). Boleslavsky then writes: "THE CREATURE: When you curse the heavens, you say it this way: 'Blooooow wiiiiinds, and Craaaaack your cheeks, Raaaaage Blooooow.' (The Creature tries very hard to curse the heavens but through the window I see the azure heavens laughing at the curse. I do the same.) And without cursing them, I must do it some other way. Well... I don't know how... Isn't it funny? Well, this way: (The Creature becomes confused and, with a charming smile, swallowing the words, hurriedly pronounces them all on one note.) 'Blowwindsandcrackyourcheeksrageblow.'" (p. 20). The next reference is to Hamlet: "I saw John Barrymore from the wings when he was playing Hamlet" (p. 22). Then the conversation returns to King Lear: "Is it easier to curse the heavens in King Lear?" (p. 26). Shakespeare is mentioned soon after that: "One can discuss Shakespeare, Moliere, Goethe, and Calderon only with a cultured actor who knows what these men stand for and what has been done in the theatres of the world to produce their plays" (pages 27-28). Then back to King Lear: "Is it another King Lear?" (p. 35). And: "You needn't be ashamed of anything, especially of that King Lear performance" (p. 35). Othello is also mentioned: "A good sensitive artist doesn't need any more than that to play Othello and Desdemona's final scene" (p. 48).

Boleslavsky also refers to Macbeth and Richard The Third: "Wouldn't you like to see and hear Mrs. Siddons right now, acting the lines: 'Here's the smell of the blood still; all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh! Oh! Oh!' What would you give to learn what Mrs. Siddons did with those 'Oh! Oh! Oh!'s'? They say that people used to faint when she did it; we don't know. And wouldn't you like to hear David Garrick, in Richard III, scorn William Catesby: 'Slave! I have set my life upon a cast./And I will stand the hazard of the die.'" (p. 57). He then mentions Othello again: "I still remember Salvini's reaction when Iago would say: 'But he that filches from me my good name/Robs me of that which not enriches him,/And makes me poor indeed'" (p. 57). He also refers to The Taming Of The Shrew: "The Taming of the Shrew is a play where two people long to love each other in spite of their impossible characters, and succeed in their longing. It might also be a play about a man who triumphs over a woman by 'treating her rough'. It might be a play about a woman who makes everybody's life miserable. Do you grasp the difference?" (p. 62). He then writes, "you looked for words to oppose my arguments, you enjoyed a few Shakespearean lines, and with all that you covered about nine speeches" (pages 65-66).

Boleslavsky returns to Hamlet: "Certainly, only it is more difficult for the actor to keep it going without monotony - 'To be or not to be' has nine sentences with one single action" (p. 67). And then: "To be or not to be. Shakespeare did not take any chances with actors. He told them right in the beginning what he wanted them to do" (pages 67-68). Also about Hamlet: "He is not just a watchman  - he is a splendid impersonation of Francisco, Bernardo, or Marcellus at his post" (p. 74). Again, about Hamlet: "THE CREATURE: 'Good my lord,/How does your honour for this many a day?' (There is a warm sincere affection and respect in her voice. She speaks as if to an elder brother. Then she looks, with fear and trembling, for an imaginary answer. The answer comes.)" (p. 76). The Creature continues to quote Ophelia: "My lord, I have remembrances of yours/That I have longed to re-deliver;/I pray you, now receive them" (p. 176). And he describes her performance. Here are photos of the next few pages:

There is then a reference to Julius Caesar, with The Creature quoting, "Et tu, Brute?" (p. 81), before the two characters return to Hamlet: "It is Hamlet and nobody else. It is Ophelia and nobody else" (p. 85). And then he tells The Creature: "It could have been Lisa, Mary, Ann. But it was not Ophelia. The body was that of a young girl, but not Ophelia's. The mind was that of a young girl, but not Ophelia's" (p. 86). The Creature asks, "What kind of a body had Ophelia?" (p. 86). Soon he says to her: "And when, with that kind of hand, you grasp your heart, it will be a different gesture than the one you made. It will be Ophelia's hand clutching Ophelia's heart, not Miss So-and-So's hand grasping Miss So-and-So's heart" (p. 87). The Creature asks, "Do you mean to say that Ophelia should not think?" (p. 89). The response from "I": "I wouldn't be so rude as that, but I would say that Shakespeare did all the thinking for her. It is his mind at work which you should characterize while acting Ophelia, or for that matter, any Shakespearean character. The same goes forany author who has a mind of his own" (p. 89).

The Tempest, The First Part Of King Henry The Sixth, King Lear and Romeo And Juliet are then referred to: "All of that counts, without regard to whether he is writing words of Caliban or those of Jeanne d'Arc, or those of Osvald. A good writer's fool is no more foolish than his creator's mind, and a prophet no more wise than the man who conceived him. Do you remember Romeo and Juliet? Lady Capulet says about Juliet, 'She's not fourteen'. And then a few pages later Juliet speaks. 'My bounty is as boundless as the sea,/My love as deep; the more I give to thee,/The more I have, for both are infinite.' Confucius could have said that, or Buddha, or St. Francis. If you will try acting Juliet's part in a way which characterizes her mind as a fourteen-year-old mind, you'll be lost. If you try to make her older you'll ruin Shakespeare's theatrical conception which is that of a genius. If you try to explain it by the early maturity of Italian women, by the wisdom of the Italian Renaissance, and so forth, you will be all tangled up in archeology and history, and your inspiration will be gone. All you have to do is to grasp the characterization of Shakespeare's mind and follow it" (pages 90-91). He then continues: "Don't misunderstand me, I'm not trying to describe or explain Shakespeare's mind. No words can describe it. All I am trying to do is to tell you that whatever character of Shakespeare you perform, its mind (not yours but the character's) must have those qualities in its manifestation. You don't have to think like Shakespeare, but the outward quality of thinking must be his" (p. 91).

And regarding Hamlet again, Boleslavsky writes, "When you have mastered the general human emotions in the part, as you have in your Ophelia, when you know when and why anger comes, or pleading, sorrow, joy or despair, whatever the case demands, when it is all clear to you, start to look for one fundamental quality: freedom in expressing your emotions" (p. 93). The book then gets into a specific scene from Hamlet. Here are photos of those pages: 

That chapter ends with a couple of lines from Polonius: "The actors are come hither, my lord - /The best actors in the world..." (p. 96). Then in the next chapter Shakespeare is mentioned: "Shakespeare...Noel Coward..." (p. 100). That's followed by another reference to Macbeth: "She begins like a high priestess or Macbeth's witch, almost rolling back her sleeves" (p. 104). There is then another reference to Hamlet: "A battlefield exposed? The grave of "Poor Yorick"dug out?" (p. 111). There is yet another Hamlet reference, along with one to The Merchant Of Venice: "Suppose in the first act of The Merchant of Venice, Antonio should pay the money on the dot, change his religion and ask for the hand of Jessica... Don't laugh. I am serious. That is an exaggerated example. Here is a legitimate one: 'How all occasions do inform against me,/And spur my dull revenge!/... Rightly to be great/Is not to stir without great argument,/But greatly to find quarrel in a straw/When honour's at the stake.' Which is Hamlet - Act IV, Scene IV. All through Shakespeare you can find those marvelous sign posts for the actor. They are wisely concealed in the text of the plays" (pages 117-118). And then: "If Shakespeare had cast those two, he would have written: Rhythm - The Prince of Arts. Tempo - his bastard Brother" (p. 124). Boleslavsky then uses a speech from The Taming Of The Shrew:

And more from Hamlet: 

At the end of the book, there are advertisements for other theatre books, including A Shakespeare's Workbook by Bertram Joseph and Acting Shakespeare by Bertram Joseph.

Acting: The First Six Lessons was published in 1933. The copy I read was from the thirty-eighth printing, in 1994.

Shakespeare Reference in Obsession

Penelope Neri's novel Obsession contains a reference to Othello. Neri writes, "There, sumptuously robed in historic fashion, and with all due pomp and circumstance, this year's Lord Mayor, James Whitehead, would kneel to pledge his allegiance to his sovereign lady, Queen Victoria, as had so many before him" (p. 118). The phrase "pomp and circumstance" originated in Othello. In Act III Scene iii, Othello says, "The spirit-stirring drum, th' ear-piercing fife,/The royal banner, and all quality,/Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war."

Obsession was published in 2003.

Shakespeare References in Weekend

Marlene Fanta Shyer's novel Weekend contains a few Shakespeare references. The first is a reference to The Tempest, using a phrase that originated in that play. Marlene Fanta Shyer writes, "How could a bottle of Listerine disappear into thin air?" (p. 270). That line refers to Prospero's line, "These our actors,/As I foretold you, were all spirits and/Are melted into air, into thin air." There is a second reference to that speech in this book: "diamond necklaces didn't just vanish into thin air the way men did" (p. 298). The other reference is to Shakespeare himself, with Marlele Fanta Shyer writing, "Except in Shakespeare, people didn't just do away with themselves over unrequited love" (p. 271). It's an odd thing for her to write, because I'm not sure what play she is thinking of. Certainly not Romeo And Juliet, for their love is not unrequited. And certainly not Antony And Cleopatra. Or Othello. The characters in Julius Caesar also do not kill themselves over unrequited love. Nor does Lady Macbeth. Nor does Goneril. The only possibility is Ophelia. But there are problems there. First of all, we don't know for sure whether she killed herself or not. Certainly, at least one character believes she did. But even if she did, Hamlet's spurning of her is only one possible cause. A more likely cause is the knowledge that the man she loves accidentally murdered her father. This book also contains a character named Titania.

Weekend was published in 1987.

Shakespeare References in Stage Fright

Ellen Hart's novel Stage Fright contains a few Shakespeare references. The first reference is to Richard The Third: "There's going to be a cast party afterward at Antonia Werness's home in Kenwood. Next to my annual Richard the Third extravaganza, it will be the event of the season" (p. 9). The second is a play on a line from Hamlet. Ellen Hart writes, "Vanity, thy name is Torald" (p. 17), a play on Hamlet's line "Frailty, thy name is woman" in Act I Scene ii. The second part of that book is titled "A Child Of Spleen," and it begins with a line from King Lear: "Create her child of spleen, that it may live/And be a thwart disnatured torment to her" (p. 67). That comes from a speech Lear gives in Act I Scene iv. Also, the book features a character named Cordelia.

Stage Fright was published in 1992. The First Ballantine Books Edition was published in June 1994.