The “Campification” of Old-School Broadway: Review of Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows’s Guys and Dolls

Authors

• Kara Riley, Wright State University

Abstract

This review examines the Stratford Festival’s 2026 production of Guys and Dolls and argues that director Donna Feore transforms a familiar Golden Age Broadway musical through a distinctly camp aesthetic. It explores how set design, costumes, and performances exaggerate mid-twentieth-century gender conventions and theatrical traditions, creating a playful reinterpretation of the source material. Special focus is given to the production’s visual design, its treatment of gender roles, and the standout comic performances of Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Miss Adelaide and Mark Uhre as Frank Detroit. Through close analysis of performance elements, the review demonstrates how contemporary productions can renew as well as critique classic works for modern audiences.

Recommended Citation

Riley, K. (2026). The “Campification” of Old-School Broadway: Review of Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling, and Abe Burrows’s Guys and Dolls, Best Integrated Writing, 8 (2).