"Waste: A Tragedy, In Four Acts" by Harley Granville-Barker is a play that explores early 20th-century political and social themes through intense dialogue and complex relationships within the English upper-middle class. The story follows characters as they debate the separation of church and state, education changes, and the evolving roles of men and women, showing the conflict between what people want and what society expects. The play starts in the Farrant household at an evening gathering, where Mrs. Farrant plays the piano as friends discuss philosophy, politics, and how society works, including issues like education and religion. A young woman named Lucy Davenport questions some of the ideas. The conversations are witty but also hint at hidden emotions, especially how women are finding their place in a changing world. As they share their opinions, small dramas start to happen, suggesting the troubles they will face as they try to balance their personal dreams with what society wants.
Waste: A Tragedy, In Four Acts
By Harley Granville-Barker
Amidst lively debates and hidden desires, a group of intellectuals grapple with political reform and personal aspirations, setting the stage for a tragedy of societal expectations and individual choices.
Summary
About the AuthorHarley Granville-Barker was an English actor, director, playwright, manager, critic, and theorist. After early success as an actor in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, he increasingly turned to directing and was a major figure in British theatre in the Edwardian and inter-war periods. As a writer his plays, which tackled difficult and controversial subject matter, met with a mixed reception during his lifetime but have continued to receive attention.
Harley Granville-Barker was an English actor, director, playwright, manager, critic, and theorist. After early success as an actor in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, he increasingly turned to directing and was a major figure in British theatre in the Edwardian and inter-war periods. As a writer his plays, which tackled difficult and controversial subject matter, met with a mixed reception during his lifetime but have continued to receive attention.
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