NEVADA CITY, Calif. — Sierra Theatre Company’s Theater by the Book series presents a staged reading of George Bernard Shaw’s classic comedy Arms and the Man on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. at the historic Nevada Theatre. Directed by Sara Noah, the one-night reading features a cast of talented local performers.
Set during the 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian War, Arms and the Man follows Raina, a young woman engaged to a dashing war hero, whose romantic notions of battle are upended when an exhausted Swiss mercenary climbs through her bedroom window looking for a place to hide. He carries chocolates instead of ammunition, and what follows is a witty collision of idealism and common sense. First staged in 1894, Shaw’s comedy pokes fun at heroics, social climbing, and the stories we tell ourselves about love and war.
“In some ways, I feel that our current culture has lost our sense of humor, and I hope this play will remind us of the humor in life,” said director Sara Noah. “I love Shaw’s play because he challenges us not to take ourselves too seriously and satirizes our frequent attempts to appear to be something other than who we really are.”
What: Arms and the Man
Where: Nevada Theatre, 401 Broad Street, Nevada City, CA
When: Wednesday, November 11 @ 7pm (doors at 6:30pm)
Tickets: $20 general, $10 students, available online at or at the door
More info: sierratheatrecompany.org/theater-by-the-book
The cast features Andrew Barclay, Amber Busse, Eason Donner, Kassidy Kelly, Robert Rossman, Chel Svendsgaard, and Eve Tieck.
Theater by the Book is Sierra Theatre Company’s wildly popular series of dynamic staged readings. Performed with script in hand, it gives the audience a chance to experience exciting new plays in a fun, casual environment. Sierra Theatre Company was founded in 2025 with the purpose of bringing high-quality, accessible theatre to everyone in Nevada County.
Tickets are available at the door or at SierraTheatreCompany.org.