A Stylish Adaptation of Shaw’s Slick Comedy Comes to the American Theatre of Actors

Way back in 1912, George Bernard Shaw, a master at depicting the complexity of human relationships and behavior, crafted Overruled, a farcical look at polygamy. Over a century later we get to examine this not-uncommon occurrence through modern eyes, and with the benefit of his evergreen legendary wit.

On paper, the circumstances of the story are akin to a screwball TV sitcom plot: a man and a woman meet on a boat trip and fall in love; they are each shocked to learn that the other is already married to someone else. Then, their respective spouses actually show up—also having fallen for each other. Fortunately, the brilliant writing of the iconic playwright, realized at the ATA by four exceptional actors, elevates the story to a more sophisticated level.

We first meet Mr. Lunn and Mrs. Juno, played by Sam Hardy and Natasha Sahs, fresh from their romantic voyage.

“Promise me you won’t be horrid,” she requests, standing on the precipice of infidelity.

“I’m not being horrid, I love you,” he declares. “Don’t be alarmed, I like wanting you.”

This declaration speaks to the heart of the matter as it unfolds; the adventure is too enjoyable to not pursue. The excitement of the situation is literally overruling any question of immorality. They flirt, they philosophize, they justify their actions and intentions; they circle the chairs of the hotel lobby they’re meeting in, sizing each other up as if in a choreographed dance, and trying to make sense of the inconvenient but inescapable feelings they have developed for each other. Suddenly the voices of their now less significant others are heard through the door, and we meet Mrs. Lunn and Mr. Juno (Kate Jergensen and Jonathan Beebe). This new team of Lunn and Juno is as smitten with each other as the first pair. Mr. Lunn, whose first name we have learned is Gregory (“which sounds like a powder”, he admits), and Mr. Juno (whose first name is oddly “Sibthorpe”), immediately go into alpha mode. Each of the men clearly wants the best of both worlds, but initially only for themselves.

“I’m her prospective husband,” says Sibthorpe to Gregory. “You’re only her actual one. I’m the anticipation: you’re the disappointment.” It’s the perfect “dis” and leads to an attempt at fisticuffs, which hysterically, neither is very good at.

Mrs. Juno is disappointed that her husband isn’t the proficient boxer he had professed to be. “You spoke with the greatest contempt of men who didn’t kick other men downstairs,” she notes.

“Well, I can’t kick Mr. Lunn downstairs,” Sibthorpe retorts. “We’re on the ground floor.”

As with all of Shaw’s works, the play is absolutely loaded with quotable lines like these that stay with you; the dialogue is either hilarious or makes a profound statement on the fickleness of humanity (and often, it’s both). The play neither justifies nor condemns the actions of its characters, simply allowing them to accept the situation as it is and embracing ambiguity; ultimately, everyone gets on board.

Overruled packs a lot of thought and humor into its 50-minute runtime and makes for the perfect Shavian appetitizer. The actors deliver it with relish, and are guided deftly by director John Benedetto.

Overruled runs at the American Theater of Actors through October 13, 2024.