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Mrs. Lincoln

Play

Overview

Synopsis

Thomas Cullinan’s Mrs. Lincoln is a snapshot at one of the lesser-known parts of the history surrounding the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln: the devastating effect it had on his wife, Mary. Ten years after her husband’s death, a bitter Mary Lincoln is hospitalized in a sanitarium in Illinois, haunted by hallucinations and riddled with paranoia. She rejects the wheedling Dr. Patterson’s efforts to treat her and confides only in Sally, an attendant who has a closer connection to the Lincolns than Mary realizes. Merging historical fact with imagination, Cullinan deftly weaves comedy and tragedy to create a delicate portrait of a woman battling a past she can’t let go of and a future she isn’t prepared for.

Show Information

Category
Play
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1968
Genres
Drama, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Period, Unit/Single Set
Time & Place
A room in Bellevue Place Sanitarium, 1875
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
None
Dancing
None
Ideal For
College/University, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Ensemble Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Characters

Character Portrayals

See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Mrs. Lincoln.

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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

    A performance technique where an actor speaks directly to the audience, breaking the fourth wall for dramatic or comedic effect.

    A group of performers who function as a unit in a production rather than as individuals with leading roles.

Quizzes

Guide Written By:

Kevan Dunkelberg

Kevan Dunkelberg

Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright