Overview
Synopsis
Named for the early morning time that playwright Sarah Kane would wake, 4.48 Psychosis is an in-depth and viscerally honest look at the experience of major depressive disorder. As a choreopoem, there are no specific characters, but rather a multitude of voices that pull the audience into the one hour and twelve minutes that the speaker feels lucid, like themselves, and has clarity. However, this experience is not one of relief, but instead profound confusion, anger, and desperation, until six am, when they request: “please open the curtains.”
4.48 Psychosis was Kane’s last play before her suicide in 1999. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2000, and has been performed worldwide. Because of its graphic and traumatic content, it is for mature audiences only.
Show Information
- Book
- Sarah Kane
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Mature Audiences (M)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 2000
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Simple/No Set, Contemporary
- Time & Place
- present day, early morning, memory
- Cast Size
- small
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, Diverse Cast, Ensemble Cast, Mature Audiences, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult Characters
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Either Gender |
Non-singer |
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
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Cindi Calhoun
Theatre teacher, director, writer, and seamstress