Overview
Synopsis
Mary of Scotland is a magnificent play written entirely in blank verse about the rise and downfall of Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scotland, who was also the cousin of the crafty and ambitious Queen Elizabeth of England. The play begins with a naive Mary returning from France to her native land, ready to claim her throne and rule her people. Over the course of three acts, Elizabeth’s machinations undermine Mary again and again, eventually causing her own people to turn against her, and enabling Elizabeth to imprison Mary. The play culminates in a final, dramatic confrontation between the two Queens - a faceoff which never actually occurred in real life, as , historically, the two only exchanged letters.
Show Information
- Book
- Maxwell Anderson
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1933
- Genres
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- united kingdom - various settings, 1500s
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Samuel French
- Ideal For
- professional theatre, college theatre, high school theatre, community theatre, amateur theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Spoken |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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