Photo Gallery: Jay Craven's Downtown Film Shoot For Major Barbara

The filming of a modernized Major Barbara took place on North Union Street from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday. The project is being directed by Jay Craven and is a modern cinematic adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s satirical 1905 Tony Award-winning comedy.

Since its premiere nearly 120 years ago, Major Barbara has had five Broadway productions and dozens more at leading repertory theaters. A description of the film is below.

"Now set in 21st Century America, things have changed – but much remains the same. Our story centers on bright-eyed, compassionate and hard-nosed Barbara Undershaft, who feeds the poor and saves souls at her Salvation Army shelter. Barbara frets over lost funding and tends a sly and unruly mob that includes Snobby Price, a fast-talking con artist; Rummy Mitchens, Snobby’s checkered accomplice; and Pete Shirley, an over-the-hill retail day laborer. Then bully Bill Walker waltzes in, looking for his runaway former girlfriend.

"Barbara and her siblings have been long estranged from their father, Andrew Undershaft, a sly shape shifter and wealthy arms manufacturer who sees himself as a paragon of reason. Barbara collides with Undershaft over their contrasting views. He asks to visit her poverty encampment – and to have Barbara visit his arms factory. Only then, he argues, can they conclude their debate over who’s right and what’s wrong."

In the project's production page where you can learn more about the cast and film, Craven outlines his reasons for pursuing this production.

"I was drawn to Major Barbara for several reasons," he said. "I love to shape literary material. It triggers a conversation with characters that is well underway by the time I join it. And it provides the opportunity to collaborate and immerse myself into the thoughts of another writer, in this case the iconic George Bernard Shaw. I tune my ear and imagine additional layers of theme, characterization, dramatic intention, irony, and meaning."

As filming was underway on Monday, the Current was on hand capturing images behind the scenes, which you can view below.