Overview

Synopsis

The Designated Mourner focuses on the lives of three people: Jack, Judy, and Howard. Howard is an outspoken critic of the right-wing, fascist regime which governs his unnamed country, and his views ultimately cost him his life. His daughter, Judy, adores her father but her husband, Jack, has grown to despise the older man. Through a series of interlocking monologues, the three characters reveal the ongoing political tensions and social pressures governing the nation. Theirs is a country in which the intellectual elite are wiped out by an authoritarian society with little tolerance for free thought. Howard’s ‘subversive’ essays and poems are decreed to be too divisive and he is marked as a dissenter and subsequently executed by the government.

As Jack caves in to a nervous breakdown, the political situation reaches its peak. With Howard dead, Judy is arrested and ultimately killed. Alone and emotionally unstable, Jack is left as the lone survivor of his middle-class circle in a nation torn apart by repression, violence, and fear.

Show Information

Book
Wallace Shawn
Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1996
Genres
Drama
Settings
Contemporary, Simple/No Set
Time & Place
An unnamed Western country, Present Day
Cast Size
small
Licensor
Dramatists Play Service
Ideal For
Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult Characters

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Jack

Lead

Male

Non-singer

Judy

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Howard

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Songs

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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

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

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Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

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Quote Analysis

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Guide Written By:

Alexandra Appleton

Alexandra Appleton

Writer, editor and theatre researcher