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Overview
Synopsis
In a small town in England in the early 20th century, a young man named Luther has recently married a woman named Minnie. Luther’s mother, Mrs. Gascoigne, is not a fan of her new daughter-in-law, claiming the marriage was a mistake and Minnie is only with her son because no one else wanted her. When a woman from the town, Mrs. Purdy, shows up at Mrs. Gascoigne’s home to tell her that her daughter is pregnant with Luther’s child, Mrs. Gascoigne must decide whether to help her son or let him and his new wife fix this on their own. She decides, out of spite, to let Minnie weather the storm. We watch as the mother struggles to give up control over her son, a young man navigates his new life as a husband and breadwinner, and a daughter-in-law and new wife tries to hold on to her marriage while keeping her own identity and integrity. D. H. Lawrence described his play as neither a tragedy nor a comedy - just ordinary, and indeed in The Daughter-in-Law we see ordinary people dealing with the extraordinary circumstances of ordinary life.
Show Information
- Book
- D.H. Lawrence
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 4
- First Produced
- 1912
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period
- Time & Place
- early 20th Century, The Kitchen of Luther Gascoigne's new home
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- College/University, Regional Theatre, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
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Lead |
Female |
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Featured |
Male |
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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
Description of material not protected by copyright law.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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