George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" offers not only exceptional entertainment, but also thought-provoking plot. The play deals with several inspiring ideas. It centers around the Undershaft family and the questions they face dealing with the nature of good and evil, the poor and rich, and society in general. The convincing acting, impressive set design, and authentic period costume all combine to deliver a very pleasing theater experience.
        Sonequa Martin (Major Barbara Undershaft) steals the show as our virtuous, witty, and optimistic heroine. Sonequa gracefully moves between quick humor and deep insight, from unquestioned faith to hopeless despair and doubt. Her moments of epiphany and realization are pure magic. Steve Ray becomes Andrew Undershaft. Steve made the role his own and delivered every devilish line with style. His delightfully wicked attitude and brutal honesty are some of the play’s best qualities.  Thomas Azar (Adolphus Cusins) convincingly conveys the inner struggle of his character’s complex decisions as he “sells his soul” by trading in his Salvation Army uniform for Andrew Undershaft’s religion of money and gunpowder.
        Lady Britomart, domineering mother and wife who sets the events in motion with her invitation of her rascal estranged husband Andrew to dinner is, as Andrew Undershaft describes, “the incarnation of morality”. Alicia Grubb does the role of Lady Britomart due justice with her patrician appearance and impressive accent. Lady Britomart’s shadowing, dependent and eventually rebelling son is played by Jason Keef. Jason effectively portrays the dynamic transition from whiny son to an independent man in the course of the play.
        The play’s thought provoking qualities and often deep, somewhat dark themes are kept in check by the play’s generous proportion of comic relief. The poverty stricken Rummy Mitchens (Missy Flowers), Snobby Price (Ben Holmes), Peter Shirley (Patrick Winegar), Bill Walker (Joel Ingram), and especially the wealthy and simple minded Charles Lomax (Jon Chapman) along with his fiancée, Sarah Undershaft (Allison Moy) provide the majority of the laughs for the show. Besides comic relief, the poor are also used to illustrate, as Andrew points out, the evil and slavery of poverty; the crime of the poor.
         If not for the interesting philosophical themes and great acting, see Major Barbara simply for the humor provided by Jon Chapman. His frequent outbursts of “You don’t say” and the constant scolding he receives from Lady Britomart are golden. And while Major Barbara mainly deals with complex and possibly controversial social themes, the play has a little bit of everything; romance, comedy, and above all, drama. The University of Alabama Theater Department has delivered an entertaining and stylish production. To everyone involved in bringing this classic to life, be proud of yourself. I think that George Bernard Shaw surely would be.