George Bernard Shaw subtitled his play Heartbreak House: "A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes," and indeed he was inspired by the plays of Anton Chekhov when he wrote it. Shaw very openly proclaimed the play to be an indictment of the leisured class of Europe just prior to World War I. In this play he creates a fascinatingly eccentric family led by Captain Shotover -- a retired sailor who has built his house to look like a ship. Acclaimed actor, director, and RAC company member, Austin Pendleton will head up the cast in this role. Shotover's children and their spouses are all struggling to find meaning in their lives, and while they grope around searching for truth, the battle lines of a great war are looming in the background. Using his always present gift of wit and humor, Shaw allows us to enjoy the foibles of these characters, while also giving us a hard look into the emptiness of their lives.