Upsides and Downsides to This ‘Profession’

George Bernard Shaw took on the slippery ties the moneyed classes had with prostitution in his early play “Mrs. Warren’s Profession.” Time has taken away the shock that made the Lord Chamberlain ban it, but issues of differing values between mothers and daughters and the status of women still resonate.

Diane Benedict and Gwen Thorne give passionate performances that rise above subpar technical aspects in Long Beach Playhouse’s Studio Theatre production.

Tim Mueller’s set is a hodgepodge of scraps--red brick walls, wood planks, gray brick walls, flats painted to simulate wood planks or stone walls. Greenery is haphazardly arranged in a fashion that by no means passes as a cottage garden (where the first act takes place). While Mrs. Warren (Benedict) should be more flamboyant than her properly brought-up daughter Vivie (Thorne), some of Donna Fritsche’s costumes for Benedict look like leftovers from a Renaissance play.

Yet under the sensitive, sure direction of Beverly Redman, this war of class, manners and morality is eloquently fought. As Vivie’s foppish suitor, Frank, Jaxon Duff Gwillim has the charming swagger of the over-privileged class. Joseph Bass oozes reptilian assurance as Mrs. Warren’s former lover, current business associate and Vivie’s unsuitable suitor.

But Redman’s real success is the fire and ice between Benedict and Thorne. Benedict’s madam switches from coquette to mongering commoner, showing that not just ideals but also class separate her from her daughter, while Thorne’s Vivie shows a momentary softening in her frosty business exterior.

* “Mrs. Warren’s Profession,” Studio Theatre, Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach. Fridays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Feb. 25, 2 p.m. Ends March 3. $15. (562) 494-1014. Running time: 2 hours, 20 minutes.