In 1893 George Bernard Shaw wrote a play deemed so controversial it could only be produced in members-only clubs, where creativity could flourish free of the restrictive rules of a far more conservative time. Eventually Mrs. Warren's Profession tickets were sold for public consumption, but even that initial 1905 production was marred by those who wished to censor. Over a century later, Mrs. Warren's Profession is free to grace the stage and explore a world previously taboo.
The play dealt with the relationship between Kitty Warren and her daughter, Vivie. Kitty is a middle-aged woman who runs a brothel for society's upper crust. Her daughter discovers this after returning from her graduation from Cambridge and is appalled. Shaw explores the strained relationship, offering a societal explanation for the business venture and exploring the root causes forcing Kitty Warren into prostitution. Mrs. Warren's Profession is a play that is perhaps ahead of its time in that respect, acknowledging and commenting on the double standard that persisted in every level of society.
Shaw also takes the time to explore the repressed sexuality of Vivie, an attractive young woman whose education and sense of purpose causes her to disregard several marriage proposals and, apparently, sex altogether. Mrs. Warren's Profession questions both society and the early feminist movement, bringing both the cause and the response under the microscope.
