Tony Nominee A.J. Shively Leads Noël Coward's THIS WAS A MAN at Gingold Theatrical Group

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A.J. Shively, Wesley Taylor, and Jane Bruce star in the Noël Coward drama, directed by David Staller.

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Gingold Theatrical Group has announced an additional event in its celebrated Project Shaw series: a special presentation of Noël Coward's This Was a Man. Remarkably, this marks the first known New York presentation of the play since its original 1926 premiere.

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Featuring Tony Award© nominee A.J. Shively (Paradise Square) as Edward Churt, Wesley Taylor (Spongebob Squarepants, Alice By Heart) as Evelyn Bathurst, Jane Bruce (Jagged Little Pill) as Lady Margot Butler, Stella Everett (GIANT, Hulu's'Not Suitable For Work') as Carol Churt, Vanessa Kai (KPOP, CW's"Kung Fu') as Zoe St. Merryn, and Carman Lacivita as Harry Challoner and Lor Robert Romford (To My Girls, Marvin's Room). The evening will be directed by GTG's David Staller .

One of Coward's rarely produced early dramas, This Was a Man explores themes that would come to define much of his work: social performance, morality, jealousy, repression, and the fragility beneath upper-class sophistication. The play follows Edward Churt, a successful painter whose carefully composed world begins to fracture as he confronts his wife Carol's infidelity. While Edward attempts to maintain an air of elegant detachment, his closest friend becomes determined to force a reckoning that threatens to upend them all.

Sharp, psychologically probing, and surprisingly modern, This Was a Man asks enduring questions about masculinity, emotional repression, and the limits of civility. What happens when good manners become a mask for pain? Is it nobler to ignore betrayal or confront it directly? And what, ultimately, does it mean to be brave enough to confront oneself and to fully connect to another person?

"The play was first mentioned to me by my godmother Hermione Gingold , for whom we named our company', says Gingold Artistic Director David Staller . 'She had begun her stage career with Noel Coward when they were both children. They remained lifelong pals and collaborators. She explained that writing this play, and its initial rejection, altered the trajectory of Coward's entire life. It was banned in England and made it's debut in NYC in 1926, and we've determined to share the play with New York for its first hearing in 100 years!"

This special addition to Project Shaw continues Gingold Theatrical Group's long-standing commitment to reviving provocative and underappreciated theatrical works that resonate deeply with contemporary audiences. Founded in 2006, Project Shaw has become one of New York's leading classic reading series, celebrating the legacy of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries through dynamic presentations featuring many of the stage's most acclaimed artists.

This event features general seating. For reserved seats or season discounts, please contact the Gingold office: 212.355.7823 info@gingoldgroup.org.

Gingold Theatrical Group, now in its 21st year, creates theater that supports human rights, freedom of speech, and individual liberty using the work of George Bernard Shaw as our guide. Through full productions, staged readings, new play development, and educational programs, GTG brings Shaw's humanist ideals to inspire peaceful discussion and activism. GTG's past productions include Man and Superman (2012), You Never Can Tell(2013), Major Barbara (2014), Widowers' Houses (2016), Heartbreak House (2018), Caesar & Cleopatra (2019), Candida (2022), Arms and the Man (2023), The Devil's Disciple (2024), and Pygmalion (2025).

Founded in 2006 by David Staller , GTG has carved a permanent niche for the work of George Bernard Shaw within the social and cultural life of New York City, and, through the Project Shaw reading series, made history in 2009 as the first company ever to present performances of every one of Shaw's 65 plays (including full-length works, one-acts and sketches). GTG brings together performers, critics, students, academics and the general public with the opportunity to explore and perform theatrical work inspired by the humanitarian and activist values that Shaw championed. All comedies, these plays boldly exhibit the insight, wit, passion and all-encompassing socio-political focus that distinguished Shaw as one of the most inventive and incisive writers of all time.

Major support for GTG is provided by The Buchwald Family Foundation, City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, The Helen M. DeMario Foundation, Golden Globe Foundation, Herman Goldman Foundation, Government of Ireland Emigrant Support Programme, Marta Heflin Foundation, Michael Tuch Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor & New York State Legislature, Shubert Foundation, Pamela Singleton , and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Founded in 1888 by Edwin Booth , New York's legendary private club, The Players, has long served as a historic hub for New York City's theatrical community. Located at 16 Gramercy Park South, the club has hosted generations of performances, readings, and cultural gatherings. Project Shaw began at The Players in 2006, and Gingold Theatrical Group is proud to continue its longstanding relationship with this landmark institution. These events are open to the general public.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/THIS-WAS-A-MAN-to-Receive-First-NYC-Presentation-in-100-Years-at-Gingold-Theatrical-Group-20260616)._