"When I Am No Longer in Control of the Performing Rights": Staging and Reception of Saint Joan at the Abbey Theatre during the Celtic Tiger Years

abstract:This article examines Patrick Mason's 1998 production of Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, via its digital archives collection at the National University of Ireland, Galway. As a symbol appropriated for various causes, Joan's legacy remains pertinent for the analysis of performative responses to Shaw's portrayal of her life, execution, and "rehabilitation." Considering the playtext alongside paratextual materials, such as the preface, in light of the mise-en-scène raises the following questions: How can contemporary theater directors and dramaturges honor Shaw's proviso that his play be performed in accordance with his didactic vision while also welcoming their own particular contexts and artistic aims? Is it possible to adhere to all of Shaw's intentions regarding his play? In this way, Mason's production's intersections with and divergences from the source text can serve to elucidate Saint Joan's legacy of performance in Ireland and internationally.