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Overview

Synopsis

Mary Page Marlowe offers a fragmented portrait of an ordinary life. Mary Page is an accountant from Ohio with two children. As the play opens, she is in the midst of explaining to her children that she and their father have decided to divorce. But this is not the beginning of a straightforward story. Spanning seven decades and running out of chronological order, the play captures the key moments in Mary Page’s life that emphasize the complexity and fragility of human existence. Six different actresses play the character, from a young girl on the cusp of adolescence, to her first divorce, to her third DUI. Tracy Lett’s one-act play beautifully captures the stages of an admittedly unremarkable life. Yet, by capturing these very ordinary moments, we see how extraordinary life can be.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
1
First Produced
2016
Genres
Drama
Settings
Period, Contemporary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Ohio, Kentucky, Twentieth Century
Cast Size
large
Ideal For
Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Professional Theatre, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Child, Early Teen, Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast

Context

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Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Mary Page Marlowe (aged 27 and 36)

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Mary Page Marlowe (aged 40 and 44)

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Mary Page Marlowe (aged 50)

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Mary Page Marlowe (aged 59, 63 and 69)

Lead

Female

Non-singer

Mary Page Marlowe (aged 12)

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Mary Page Marlowe (aged 19)

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Wendy Gilbert

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Lorna

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Connie

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Andy

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Ed Marlowe

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Roberta Marlowe

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Shrink

Supporting

Female

Non-singer

Ray

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Dan

Supporting

Male

Non-singer

Louis Gilbert

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Nurse

Featured

Female

Non-singer

Ben

Featured

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

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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