''Mary Jane'' is a two-act dramatic stage play written by American playwright

Amy Herzog Amy Herzog is an American playwright. She is known for her poignant and character-driven plays that explore themes of family dynamics, personal relationships, and the complexities of human experience. She has received a Drama Desk Award as well a ...

. The play had its World Premiere at

Yale Repertory Theatre Yale Repertory Theatre at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut was founded by Robert Brustein, dean of Yale School of Drama, in 1966, with the goal of facilitating a meaningful collaboration between theatre professionals and talented stud ...

in 2017 and officially premiered on Broadway on April 23, 2024. The Broadway cast is led by

Rachel McAdams Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from York University in 2001 with a BFA in theatre, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film '' Perfect Pie'' (2002), ...

in the titular role. The play won the

New York Drama Critics' Circle The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 23 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jon ...

Award for Best Play in 2018. The play is semi-autobiographical and based on Herzog's daughter Frances, who was born with

nemaline myopathy Nemaline myopathy (also called rod myopathy or nemaline rod myopathy) is a congenital, often hereditary neuromuscular disorder with many symptoms that can occur such as muscle weakness, hypoventilation, swallowing dysfunction, and impaired speech ...

and died at age 11 in 2023.

Synopsis

As Mary Jane navigates both the mundane and the unfathomable realities of caring for Alex, her chronically ill young son, she finds herself building a community of women from many walks of life.

Characters

The following are characters in the play: * Mary Jane - a mother in her thirties * Ruthie - a building superintendent * Sherry - a nurse * Brianne - a Facebook friend * Amelia - Sherry's niece, a college student * Dr. Toros - a pediatric intensivist * Kat - a music therapist * Chaya - a Hasidic Jewish woman * Tenkei - a Buddhist nun *

Notable casts

Production history

The play was first staged by

from April 28-May 20, 2017, directed by

Anne Kauffman Anne Kauffman is an American director known primarily for her work on new plays, mainly in the New York area. She is a founding member of the theater group the Civilians.Grode, Eric"Meet the Directors"''New York Times'', January 31, 2013 She made ...

. The play was commissioned through Yale's Binger Center for New Theatre. The play was the recipient of the 2016 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and was also awarded a grant through the Laurents/Hatcher Foundation. It was the second play Herzog had developed at Yale, the first being '' Belleville''. The play was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, the oldest and largest prize awarded exclusively to women playwrights. The play was next staged Off-Broadway by the New York Theatre Workshop from September 6 - October 29, 2017. For the title role of Mary Jane,

Carrie Coon Carrie Alexandra Coon (born January 24, 1981) is an American actress. Known for her portrayals of complex characters on stage and screen, she has received a Critics' Choice Television Award, as well as nominations for two Primetime Emmy Awards a ...

was nominated for the

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

and received an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

for her performance. The Off-Broadway production also received 7

Lucille Lortel Lucille Lortel (née Wadler, December 16, 1900 – April 4, 1999) was an American actress, artistic director, and theatrical producer. In the course of her career Lortel produced or co-produced nearly 500 plays, five of which were nominated for ...

nominations. The play opened on Broadway at the

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, formerly the Biltmore Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 261 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1925, it was designed by Herbert J. Krapp i ...

as part of

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Lynne Meadow has been the company’s Artistic Director and visionary since 1972. Barry Grove joined the company in 19 ...

's 2023–2024 season, again directed by Anne Kauffman. The production began previews on April 2, 2024 and officially opened on April 23, 2024. The production closed after a limited engagement run on June 30, 2024.

Awards and nominations

2017 Off-Broadway debut

2024 Broadway

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jane, Mary 2017 plays Broadway plays New York Drama Critics' Circle Award winners Plays set in New York City