Mrs. Warren’s Profession

Reviewed by Katie Buenneke
A Noise Within
Through November 18

Though it was written in 1893, George Bernard Shaw’s play Mrs. Warren’s Profession, now playing at A Noise Within in Pasadena, feels surprisingly contemporary. While Shaw scripted these conversations 124 years ago, the basic arguments the characters engage in have changed little in the intervening years.

The play’s coy title refers to the hot-button issue at hand: a woman’s sexual agency. The story centers on Miss Vivie Warren (Erika Soto), a young woman with professional aspirations, and her mother, Mrs. Kitty Warren (Judith Scott), a (century-old spoiler alert!) former prostitute and current madame. Vivie had no idea her mother was anything but legitimate, and tries to come to terms with the life her parent chose — as Kitty puts it, there weren’t many options for poor young women, and she figures it was better to profit herself than to let someone else wear her down and exploit her through manual labor.

A Noise Within’s production, directed by Michael Michetti, is solid, though not revelatory. It hits all the right beats, even if some of the actors’ accents occasionally slip. Soto is immensely likeable as the young Miss Warren, displaying the humanity behind the hard exterior Vivie projects to the world. Unfortunately, the rest of the production fails to match her vivacity, and feels more like an exhibition of the text than an invigorating, audacious revival.

Though the timing wasn’t intentional (inasmuch as these conversations are, sadly, always relevant), there’s a scene after the intermission that rings remarkably true in light of the recent allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Mrs. Warren’s business partner, Sir George Crofts (Jeremy Rabb), tries to bully Vivie into accepting his offer of marriage. He tells her, “As long as you don’t fly openly in the face of society, society doesn’t ask any inconvenient questions; and it makes precious short work of the cads who do. There are no secrets better kept than the secrets everybody guesses.” It’s hauntingly reminiscent of much of the dialogue around Weinstein — many refer to his actions as an “open secret.” Luckily, Vivie is able to escape Croft’s nefarious advances, but plenty of women aren’t so lucky.

Indeed, the greatest legacy of Mrs. Warren’s Profession might be its timeless biting commentary. Crofts points out plenty of iniquities that Vivie benefits from, and few of them have changed. From broke college students who decide to become “sugar babies” to the countless women worldwide who are victims of the sex trafficking industry, women are still fighting for their own agency, and still face the unceasing judgment of men who think they know what’s best for women.

A Noise Within, 3353 E Foothill Blvd, Pasadena; in repertory; through November 18. anoisewithin.org. Running time: two hours and 15 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.