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Overview
Synopsis
Oklahoma! is firmly etched into the American musical theatre canon. Somewhat less known is the musical’s original basis: Lynn Riggs’ play with music Green Grow the Lilacs. Named after the Irish folk song, the play features the same characters and largely the same plot as the musical. Set in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) in 1900, Green Grow the Lilacs revolves around 18-year-old Laurey Williams and her two rival suitors: handsome cowboy Curly McClain and the growly ranch hand Jeeter Fry. The play’s structure is unique in that it is a one-act play with six scenes, some of which happen at the same time as the events of the previous scene. There are also musical interludes between scenes and the insertion of folk songs throughout (the folk songs were replaced by original songs in the musical). As a one-act, the play’s characters are less fully defined than they would become in Oklahoma!, but the templates are very much evident in this piece of theatre history.
Show Information
- Book
- Lynn Riggs
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1931
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), 1900
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- None
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- Community Theatre, Ensemble Cast, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
In 1928, American playwright Lynn Riggs received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a grant that allowed him to travel to France. It was there that he wrote Green Grow the Lilacs, a play with music named after the Irish folk song that was popular in the United States at the time. After previews at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., the play opened on Broadway at the Guild Theatre (now the August Wilson Theatre) on January 26, 1931. Popular leading man Franchot Tone played the handsome singing
to read the context for Green Grow the Lilacs and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
1 In the front room of a farmhouse in Indian Territory one summer morning, handsome cowboy Curly McClain sings a folk song romanticizing the life of a cowboy. Aunt Eller, the play’s mother figure, playfully teases and flirts with him. Curly coyly asks about Eller’s niece, 18-year-old Laurey. He intends to ask her to a party being hosted by Old Man Peck, but before he can ask she (somewhat playfully) rebuffs him. Eller tells a sullen Curly that Laurey likes him, but that her burly ranch hand
to read the plot for Green Grow the Lilacs and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lead |
Male |
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Lead |
Female |
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Supporting |
Female |
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Supporting |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Male |
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Featured |
Either Gender |
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Ensemble |
Female |
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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
A production in which musical numbers and dances are fully integrated into a proper narrative with defined dramatic goals.
A group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.
Genre of music inspired by oral traditions and often without a specific composer, sharing stories of national or cultural identity. Folk music is regional and found worldwide.
A pause in between scenes or acts of a play.
A work that is primarily a straight play, but incorporates music or musical elements to tell the story.
Someone who works various jobs on a ranch.
A specific type of accent often found in the southern United States.
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Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright