Don Juan in Hell

Using intriguing characters and sparkling dialogue, George Bernard Shaw explored ideas and issues that transformed the conventions of British theater. "e;Don Juan in Hell"e; showcases the master's art at its best. An episode from Act Three of Man and Superman, "e;Don Juan in Hell"e; is often presented independently of the rest of the play. Rooted in the Don Juan legend particularly as it appears in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni this dream sequence forms a play within a play. It consists of a dramatic reading in which three characters from Man and Superman appear in archetypal guises: Don Juan, the libertine turned moralist; Dona Ana, the eternal female; and the Commander, a hypocrite transformed into a statue. The Devil himself joins their spirited debate on the nature of heaven and hell, of good and evil, and of human purpose, for a captivating blend of Shavian wit and Nietzschean philosophy.