Modern adaptation of “Pygmalion” opens at Powerhouse Theater

Rachel Pittenger Guest Writer

As we enter October, Vassar’s drama season arrives in full force. Within the drama department, the buzz about the upcoming production of “Pygmalion” is growing. Not only does it feature some of Vassar’s most talented actors, but it is also a unique spin on the traditional play.

“Pygmalion” will be produced through a Diversity in Performance Course taught in the drama and film department. Adjunct Drama Instructor Dennis Reid is directing the show, and has adapted the script. Reid has been thinking about the rewrite of the play for close to five years, though he does acknowledge the ingenuity of the original “Pygmalion” story. The story was written at the beginning of the 20th century, but has been adapted multiple times, including in several film versions.

The original story focuses on Professor Higgins, a linguistics professor living in England. He takes a bet that he can, in Reid’s words, “mold a cockney flower girl (Eliza) into a flower girl” to then be presented to society.

Reid took this premise and adapted it for a contemporary audience. He aimed to maintain the unique social commentary and satire that playwright George Bernard Shaw brought to the original script, but chose to transport the story to Brooklyn, New York in the mid-1990s. More specifically, the female protagonist (played by Rachel Christopher ’08) is a young African-American girl from the Brooklyn projects, and Professor Higgins (played by Austin Riotte ’08) is a linguistics professor at New York University.

Riotte talked about the importance of adapting the play for a modern audience, and said that it “allows us to present a production of ‘Pygmalion’ that modernizes Shaw’s original story without losing the elements that make ‘Pygmalion’ a great play—contemporary, hilarious, scathing social commentary.”

Although the characters certainly had to be reshaped for the modern production, Riotte said that overall “there have been the usual challenges about discovering and identifying with characters that come with any play, [and] these have been easier to navigate knowing that [Reid] has very clear ideas about the play.”

Though the basic story is similar to the original, the drastic change in context is notable, and Reid had to make a great effort to rewrite the characters, particularly Eliza, to fit a modern setting. Reid cites the power and complexity of language as a key theme in the story, and how we can manipulate it “as a way to reinvent ourselves.”

He elaborated on the importance of the English language in contemporary society, noting that “English is not pure…and has had many influences.” This play explores the fluidity of language, and faithfully maintains the social commentary that Shaw originally intended. Riotte added that along with this linguistic exploration comes an important promotion “of thinking and social examination.”

The issues of class, race and nationality that connect to the dominant theme of language are also prevalent, and reflect issues within the Vassar community. Reid said that this production also brought more students of color into the drama department, and he hopes that this will continue. In the meantime, he is anxious to put the finishing touches on the play.

“Pygmalion” will be performed from Tuesday, Oct. 10 through Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Powerhouse Theater Auditorium.