In what language was "Pygmalion" first presented on stage?
AEnglish
BIrish
CGerman
DFrench
Answer:
C. German
Read Explanation:
Understanding George Bernard Shaw's 'Pygmalion'
- Pygmalion is a celebrated play written by the Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw.
- It first premiered on stage in German on October 16, 1913.
- This initial performance took place at the Hofburg Theatre in Vienna, Austria.
Reasons for German Premiere:
- Shaw was immensely popular in German-speaking countries, and his plays were often translated and performed there first.
- One significant reason for the German premiere was to secure international copyright. At the time, performing a play abroad before its home country premiere could help solidify its copyright protection, especially against unauthorized adaptations.
- The play's first English-language performance occurred later, on April 11, 1914, at His Majesty's Theatre in London.
Key Themes and Adaptations:
- Pygmalion explores themes of social class, language, identity, and the challenges of social mobility in early 20th-century Britain.
- The play famously depicts the transformation of a Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a refined lady under the instruction of phonetics professor Henry Higgins.
- It served as the basis for the highly successful Broadway musical My Fair Lady (1956), which was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning film (1964).
Authorial Recognition:
- George Bernard Shaw was a prolific writer and a co-founder of the London School of Economics.
- He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925, with Pygmalion being one of his notable contributions to literature.