Maniket
The Jataka-derived story follows Suthanu, prince of Varanasi, and Manikhet, a magical flying horse with emerald eyes. The complete dramatic text combines dialogue, song lyrics and stage directions.
Plays
8284 shows
Clear filtersMankind
In this morality play, the farmer Mankind resolves to live virtuously but is tempted by the vices and the devil Titivillus. He falls into sin, then struggles to accept Mercy's offer of redemption, while the play implicates its audience through direct address and participation.
Manman Dlo contre la fée Carabosse
In the World of the Marvelous, Carabossa attempts to colonize the Caribbean with Greco-Latin magic, while Manman Dlo and other indigenous spirits and goddesses resist. The two-act play uses Caribbean characters and Antillean Creole language.
Manuel
Manuel is an 1817 tragedy by the Irish writer Charles Maturin. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 8 March 1817. The original cast included Edmund Kean as Manuel, Count Valdi, Alexander Rae as De Zelos, James William Wallack as Torrismond, Charles Holland as Mendizabel, Thomas Cooke as Almorad, John Powell as Guide and Margaret Somerville as Victoria. The published work is dedicated to the writer Walter Scott. It takes place in the wake of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in Spain. It failed to recapture the success of his debut play Bertram of the previous year, despite both starring Kean.
Many Waters
Many Waters is a play by the Irish writer Monckton Hoffe. It was first performed in 1926 under the title The Unnamed Play lasting for one performance at the Stand Theatre in London. Revised and under its new title it enjoyed a much longer West End run at the Ambassadors Theatre, lasting for 313 performances between 18 July 1928 and 20 April 1929. The 1928 cast included Nicholas Hannen, Marda Vanne, Milton Rosmer, Reginald Denham, Aubrey Dexter and Robert Douglas in his West End debut. The title is from the expression "Many waters cannot quench love" (Song of Solomon 8:7).
Mar i Cel
Aboard a corsair ship in the seventeenth-century Mediterranean, Muslim pirate captain Saïd falls in love with Blanca, a Christian captive on her way to become a nun. Their romance is condemned by both communities and ends in their deaths together.
Marat/Sade
Set in the historical Charenton Asylum, Marat/Sade is almost entirely a "play within a play". The main story takes place on 13 July 1808; the play directed by the Marquis de Sade within the story takes place 15 years earlier, during the French Revolution, culminating in the assassination (13 July 1793) of Jean-Paul Marat, then quickly brings the audience up to date (1808). The actors are the inmates of the asylum; the nurses and supervisors occasionally step in to restore order. The bourgeois director of the hospital, Coulmier, supervises the performance, accompanied by his wife and daughter. He is a supporter of the post-revolutionary government led by Napoleon, in place at the time of the production, and believes the play he has organised to be an endorsement of his patriotic views. His patients, however, have other ideas, and they make a habit of speaking lines he had attempted to suppress, or deviating entirely into personal opinion. Having come out of the revolution no better than they went in, the inmates are not entirely pleased with the course of events as they occurred. The Marquis de Sade, the man after whom sadism is named, did indeed direct performances in Charenton with other inmates there, encouraged by Coulmier. De Sade is a main character in the play, conducting many philosophical dialogues with Marat and observing the proceedings with sardonic amusement. He remains detached and cares little for practical politics and the inmates' talk of right and justice; he simply stands by as an observer and an advocate of his own nihilistic and individualist beliefs.
Marathon '33
Set during the Depression-era dance-marathon craze, June and her partner Patsy enter contests where desperate participants dance for food, fame, or entertainment. The production frames the action as a documentary-like glimpse into marathoners' lives.
Marcel on the Train
A dramatization of Marcel Marceau’s life, set in occupied France in 1943.
Marcella
Marcella is a 1789 tragedy by the British writer William Hayley. The original Drury Lane cast included John Philip Kemble as Hernandez, William Barrymore as Alonzo, John Whitfield as Lupercio, Robert Benson as Lopez, Richard Wroughton as Governor of Barcelona and Jane Powell as Marcella.
Marching Song
A historical drama about abolitionist John Brown and his effort to organize a slave revolt in 1859, framed through a journalist piecing together his life from contradictory recollections.
Marcinkus
In an office that may be purgatory, Archbishop Paul Marcinkus addresses the audience about his life, from his Chicago youth and priesthood to his role at the Vatican Bank and service to two popes.
Marco Millions
Marco Millions is a play by Eugene O'Neill about Marco Polo.
Marco Polo Sings a Solo
According to Samuel French's website, the play is set in "...1999, the place an island off the coast of Norway. Stony McBride, a young movie director and adopted son of an aging Hollywood star, is writing a film about Marco Polo, in which, it is hoped, his father will make a comeback. Stony is also attempting to deal with his attractive wife, a former concert pianist whose lover, a dynamic young politician who has gotten hold of the cure for cancer, is also on hand. Adding to the rapidly multiplying complications are Stony's mother (a transsexual, as she later confesses); a friend named Frank (who has been in space orbit for the past five years); a maid (who is impregnated astrally by Frank); and another friend, Larry (who is fitted with a set of mechanical legs). There is also an earthquake; the discovery of a planet; and the birth of a new hero (Stony himself?); all coming together, within the bizarre action of the play, to yield some chilling, albeit very funny, glimpses of the future that may await us all."
Mareez
A biographical play tracing the life of mid-twentieth-century Gujarati poet Mareez through different phases.
Margaret Fleming
After learning her husband fathered a child with a young immigrant woman who later dies, Margaret faces the revelation while caring for the baby. Though she tells her husband their marriage is over, she supports his effort to rebuild his life.
Margin for Error
Officer Finkelstein, a Jewish policeman, is assigned to protect Karl Baumer, the consul for Nazi Germany in an American city. While hosting a group of people listening to a radio broadcast of a speech by Adolf Hitler, Baumer is apparently murdered. Finkelstein's investigation discovers that each of the others present has a motive for murdering Baumer. Dr. Jennings paid to get relatives out of Germany, only to discover Baumer has cheated him. Sophie Baumer hated her husband's cruelty and amorality. Baumer threatened to expose the Jewish ancestry of Baron Max von Alvenstor, and planned to kill Otto Horst. Thomas Denny, an American journalist, hates Baumer's Nazi ideology. All the suspects are found to be innocent; Baumer accidentally drank poison that he had prepared to murder one of his guests.
Maria
Set in post-revolutionary Saint Petersburg, Babel’s nonlinear play follows the Mukovnin family and those around them as war communism disrupts their lives; the absent Maria is an idealistic Communist officer at the front, while her aristocratic relatives confront the new order’s violence and upheaval.
Maria/Stuart
During a birthday gathering for Ruthie, a grandmother with a day pass from her nursing home, her unhappy family confronts its shared past. Ruthie’s daughters, their children, and eccentric Aunt Sylvia are thrown into turmoil when a German-speaking, soda-drinking shapeshifter appears, awakening the family’s buried secrets. The play reshapes Schiller’s story of rival queens into a supernatural family drama.
Mariamne
Mariamne is a 1723 tragedy play by the British writer Elijah Fenton. It is based on the biblical Mariamne, wife of Herod the Great of Judea. The following year Voltaire produced a French play of the same title. Staged at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre the original cast included Anna Maria Seymour as Mariamne, Anthony Boheme as Herod, Jane Egleton as Salome, Thomas Walker as Pheroras, Jane Rogers as Arsinoe, James Quin as Sohemus, Lacy Ryan as Flaminius and John Leigh as the High Priest.
Mariamne (Augustin Nadal play)
A French tragedy drawing on the Herodian dynasty and events around Herod the Great; its premiere became the subject of a public rivalry with Voltaire’s separate play on the same story.
Mariana Pineda
Lorca’s play dramatizes the life of Mariana de Pineda Muñoz, whose opposition to Ferdinand VII and public execution for treason in 1831 had become part of Granada’s folklore.
Marie Tudor
Mary I of England imprisons her fictional favorite Fabiano Fabiani in the Tower of London. Though she later wants to spare his life, she cannot prevent his execution.
Marigolds in August
Near Port Elizabeth, Daan, a black township resident working as a gardener at a whites-only resort, argues with the unemployed Melton and worries that Melton’s presence will expose his invalid passbook. Paulus, a white snake catcher, catalyzes the conflict; Daan recognizes how apartheid fuels violence between black people and the need for solidarity.
Marilyn Forever Blonde
A one-woman play with music set in a photographer's studio on what might be the last day of Marilyn Monroe's life. Dialogue is assembled from documented quotations by Monroe and pivotal figures in her life and career, with songs Monroe sang in her films.
Marina
Marina is a 1738 tragedy by the British writer George Lillo. It is a reworking of Shakespeare's Pericles, Prince of Tyre, produced at a time when Covent Garden was experimenting with a summer season. The original Covent Garden cast included Lewis Hallam as Lysimachus, Sarah Hamilton as Philoten and William Hallam as Mother Coupler.
Marino Faliero, Doge of Venice
In 1355 Venice, doge Marino Faliero is enraged when Michele Steno receives only a month’s imprisonment for an insulting libel against Faliero’s wife. Faliero joins a conspiracy to overthrow Venice’s constitution in revenge, but the plot is discovered and he is executed.
Marion de Lorme
In 1638, courtesan Marion de Lorme falls in love with Didier, a foundling who does not know her identity. After a duel gets Didier arrested, Marion seeks a royal pardon, but Cardinal Richelieu revokes it; Didier ultimately refuses the price Marion paid to save him, and they are taken to execution.
Marisol
Marisol, a Puerto Rican copy editor in the Bronx, learns from her guardian angel that a revolution is underway against a dying God. As cosmic disorder turns New York into a wasteland, she journeys among displaced people and joins the struggle to save the universe.
Marius
In Marseille, café worker Marius dreams of going to sea, putting his growing romance with his childhood friend Fanny at risk.
Marjorie Prime
An elderly widow at the end of her life embraces technology to potentially preserve her memory. The plays deals with the topic of digital footprints and their effect on future generations as technology continues to advance.
Mark Colvin's Kidney
Radio journalist Mark Colvin reaches out on Twitter to Mary-Ellen Field, a woman whose privacy was violated through phone hacking. They become pen pals, and Field eventually saves his life by donating a kidney.
Mark Twain Tonight!
Mark Twain Tonight! is a one-man play devised by Hal Holbrook, in which he depicted Mark Twain giving a dramatic recitation selected from several of Twain's writings, with an emphasis on the comic ones.
Marlon Brando's Corset
On the set of a fictional long-running medical television drama, its writer Nick Chase tussles with the show's star Will Swift and director Alex.
Marriage
Civil servant Podkolyosin hires a matchmaker to find him a bride, but his indecision gives his friend Kochkaryov the chance to take over the courtship. Although Podkolyosin becomes engaged to Agafya, he panics on the wedding day and escapes by jumping out a window.
Marriage Play
After thirty years of marriage, Jack announces he intends to leave Gillian. Their confrontation and repeated attempts to stage the conversation expose frustration, insecurity and infidelity; they fight, then revisit memories and return to their grievances.
Marriage à la mode
The setting is in Sicily. The plot concerns two separate storylines, one a romance between Palmyra and Leonidas, who were separated from their parents as babies and who were raised together by Hermogenes, who has kept their past a secret. When Hermogenes is recognized by the usurper-king Polydamas, he declares that Leonidas is Polydamas's son. However, as Leonidas's new position of prince then forbids him to marry Palmyra, much misery is brought to the couple. When the lovers refuse to stop seeing each other, Palmyra is sentenced to death. Hermogenes then steps forward and reveals that he was lying before: in fact Leonidas is his own son, he says, and he had lied in the hopes of bettering the boy by making him prince, whereas Palmyra is the real child of Polydamas. After offering proof of this new claim, Palmyra is established as princess, but again this prevents her and Leonidas from marrying. Hermogenes eventually admits that he once again was withholding information, and reveals the whole truth to Leonidas—Leonidas is the son of the rightful king, whose throne was usurped by Polydamas. As soon as he learns this, Leonidas forms a rebellion against Polydamas, wins, and establishes himself the new king, finally allowing himself and Palmyra to be married. The second storyline, which intertwines with the first, concerns Rhodophil and his friend Palamede. Palamede has fallen in love with Rhodophil's wife Doralice, and Rhodophil is in love with Palamede's fiancée Melantha. Each of the women seem to find their pursuers agreeable, and great care is taken by all parties to keep their meetings secret from each other, with disastrous results as the two couples seem to always choose the same locations and tactics for meeting. When finally the actions of everyone are discovered, Palamede and Rhodophil decide that since their tastes in women are so similar, each would be best sticking to his rightful claim. Palamede then manages to win the heart of Melantha, and amicably break off his relationship with Doralice.
Married for Money
Married for Money is a 1939 comedy play by the British author Will Scott. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Birmingham before transferring to the Aldwych Theatre in London's West End where it ran for performances between 17 November and 26 December 1939, in the early months of the Second World War. The West End cast included Bryan Coleman, Ronald Simpson, Mackenzie Ward, Eliot Makeham, Nora Swinburne, Dinah Sheridan and Viola Lyel. It is a farce revolving around a put-upon husband who conceals a secret stash of money from his wife.
Marry the Girl
Wally Gibbs hopes to marry Jane Elliott, but Doris Chattaway's mother threatens a breach-of-promise suit over Wally's past courtship of Doris. Wally enlists his friend Hugh to divert Doris's affections; a stolen car and overnight trip intensify suspicion, and Hugh is later forced to prosecute Wally in court. During the trial Wally proposes to Doris, while Hugh reveals he has married Jane.
Marry, or Do Worse
Marry, or Do Worse is a 1703 comedy play by William Walker. It premiered at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre in London. The original cast is not known.
Marseilles
Marseilles is play in three acts by Sidney Howard that was adapted from Marcel Pagnol's Marius (1929). Produced and directed by Gilbert Miller, it premiered at Parsons Theatre in Hartford, Connecticut on November 3, 1930, with a cast led by Alexander Kirkland as Marius. It transferred to Broadway's Henry Miller's Theatre on November 17, 1930. It ran for 16 performances. Helene Pons designed the gowns worn by the women in the production. Others in the cast included Guy Kibbee as Panisse, Douglas Wood as Monsieur Brun, and Alison Skipworth as Honorine.
Marvellous
A stage adaptation of Neil Baldwin's life story, written by Baldwin, Malcolm Clarke, and Theresa Heskins.
Marvin's Room
Bessie, a strong-willed woman, takes care of her bedridden father and eccentric Aunt Ruth. After Bessie is diagnosed with leukemia, her estranged sister, Lee, comes to visit and to be tested as a possible bone marrow donor for her sister. The reunion between the sisters is initially uncomfortable, aggravated by the difficult behavior of Lee's two sons. The two women eventually confront their shortcomings as sisters, reach out to each other, and arrive at an understanding about the importance of family.
Marx in Soho
Karl Marx is resurrected in New York’s Soho to defend communism against its dehumanized Soviet practice and to challenge capitalism. In a seamless monologue, he argues about modern economic inequality while recalling his devoted marriage to Jenny, his love for their children and his debates with fellow radical Mikhail Bakunin.
Mary Jane
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.
Mary Jane's Pa
The play takes place over the course of several weeks in September during the early 1900's, in Gosport, Indiana. Act I (Interior of the Perkins home. Afternoon.) Lucille is studying when Ivy comes in the back door, her hair in rollers. She wants to borrow something, but hides when Barrett calls. He and Lucille discuss Portia's antipathy to their seeing each other. Star drops by, then Claud Whitcomb comes in, followed by Miss Faxon. Joel Skinner is next and Ivy's nerve finally breaks. She dashes from the house, hands covering her hair, shouting "Don't look!". The others are startled but Lucille shrugs and says "Ivy". Miss Faxon wants her ad in the Clarion changed, while Claud has a load of firewood for sale and some local news for the newspaper. Joel Skinner is cagy about his business with Portia. Linc arrives next, also with some tidbits for the Clarion. He takes Miss Faxon to the depot, while Portia quizzes Skinner. He wants her to stop the political attacks in the Clarion, accusing her of favoring his rival Rome Preston for personal reasons. Later, Mary Jane and Lucille voice their distress to Portia about rumors she is a "suffragist" and too friendly with Rome. Mary Jane also wonders why Portia has no photos of and never talks about her father. As Portia sits alone, a knock is heard and in walks Hiram after eleven years. Portia is astounded. Hiram recounts his years wandering the world; he has little money and looks like a tramp. Portia excoriates Hiram for his abandonment, but allows him to stay on condition he does the cooking and housework and tells no one of his identity. Hiram agrees and picks the alias "Nabal". As he goes upstairs, Rome Preston calls out "good night" to Portia from the street. (Curtain) Act II (Perkins Print Shop and office of the Clarion. Friday morning, three weeks later.) Barrett Sheridan and his troupe have returned. He has hired a brass band to parade down Main Street. They can be seen through the windows and open doors of the print shop, where Gene Merryfield and Lewellyn are working. Ivy flirts with Gene until Star shows up. Star and Ivy go out when Nabal enters. He irritates Gene by pointing out a misspelt word in his type. Barrett asks about his show's advertising fliers, but is delighted to see Nabal, whom he knew as "Evans" when both worked at a big city paper. Nabal says he has written a book for Barrett's father, a wealthy publisher. Portia asks Lewellyn to fetch a buggy from the livery stable, so she can take Jenny Miller's affidavit at the factory. She spies Lucille and Barrett talking in front of the shop, oblivious to all. She sends Lucille away then argues with Barrett about his suitability for her daughter, not wanting Lucille to make the same mistake she did. At this, Nabal excuses himself. Preston tries to dissuade Portia from printing the Miller story, fearful Skinner will retaliate against her. Preston and Linc are surprised when Miss Faxon pulls her ad from the Clarion; she advises them not to associate with it, because of Nabal. Gene, also afraid for Portia, leaves so Preston can sabotage the Miller story by disabling the big press. Preston attempts to patronize Nabal, is defeated by his erudition, but asks him to leave town for Portia's sake. Mary Jane accepts a note from Sheridan at the shop front. She comes in and watches Nabal resetting the type for the Miller story. She admires how he learned so many things, and says how much she likes him. When Lucille returns she receives Barrett's note from Mary Jane. Portia returns; Lucille and her spar over the Skinner fight, and Barrett. Lucille and Mary Jane leave. Portia then begs help from Hiram to get the paper ready. They recondition a smaller press since Preston removed a piece from the larger one. Skinner and Whipple come in to bribe or browbeat Portia, but get the worst of it. Hiram prints the Clarion for the nominating convention that afternoon. (Curtain) Act III (Perkins yard, with side and back porches. Evening of the next day.) Mary Jane and Portia are in the yard, when Ivy comes to borrow spoons and napkins for a party to which none of the Perkins are invited. Ivy explains she wanted to, but other folks said they wouldn't come otherwise. Nabal consoles Mary Jane by showing her a cake he baked. He also hands her an envelope with money he received from Barrett's father for completing his book. Lucille returns from school carrying her textbooks. She tells Portia she isn't going back because of the gossip, but doesn't mention her planned elopement. But Star has found the note from Barrett she dropped, and threatens to expose her as being like her mother. Lucille gives him a roundhouse slap that staggers him. He teeters into Ivy's house, mumbling threats. Rome accepts Portia's congratulations on winning the nomination, and confesses to sabotaging the big printer. Nabal stops Lucille from eloping; he insists Barrett take her for a walk then come back. Gene and Lewellyn run over to Portia: a mob led by Skinner and Miss Faxon are wrecking the print shop. Linc hurries over to warn the mob is headed this way. Skinner and Miss Faxon incite the mob to tar and feather Nabal. Rome, Linc, and the printers stand by Portia, who in turn protects Nabal. She shouts that Nabal is her husband of 17 years, Hiram Perkins. The crowd is dumbfounded and starts melting away; Skinner insults Portia and Hiram decks him. Portia and Rome have a bittersweet parting. Hiram, planning to depart, is told by Portia to stay. Hiram in turn reconciles her to Barrett as a son-in-law, as Lucille and him stroll back into view. (Curtain)
Mary Magdalene
In a three-act retelling of the Passion story, Mary Magdalene turns away from her former life and seeks to save Jesus from crucifixion, while the Roman general Lucius Verus makes his aid conditional on her surrender.
Mary Page Marlowe
Told out of chronological order, the play follows accountant Mary Page Marlowe through different ages of her life, from a divorce and move with her children to conflicts with her mother and the consequences of three DUI convictions. Six actresses and a doll portray her at different ages.
Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Chopped Off
Liz Lochhead’s play explores the relationship between Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart through a female perspective. Elizabeth performs masculine-coded behavior to expose women’s exclusion from political power, while Mary uses sexuality and emotional vulnerability to pursue her aims.
Mary Read
Mary Read is a 1934 historical play by the British writer James Bridie and Claud Gurney, based on the life of the early eighteenth century pirate Mary Read. After premiering at the Manchester Opera House it ran for a 108 performances in London's West End, first at His Majesty's Theatre before transferring to the Phoenix Theatre. Produced by Tyrone Guthrie, it starred Flora Robson in the title role supported by a cast that included Robert Donat, Claud Allister, Charles Farrell and Iris Hoey.
Mary Rose
This is the fictional story of Mary Rose, a girl who vanishes twice. As a child, Mary Rose was taken by her father to a remote Scottish island. While she is briefly out of her father's sight, Mary Rose vanishes. The entire island is searched exhaustively. Twenty-one days later, Mary Rose reappears as mysteriously as she disappeared... but she shows no effects of having been gone for three weeks, and she has no knowledge of any gap or missing time. Years later, as a young wife and mother, the adult Mary Rose persuades her husband to take her to the same island. Again she vanishes: this time for a period of decades. When she is found again, she is not a single day older and has no awareness of the passage of time. In the interim, her son has grown to adulthood and is now physically older than his mother.
Mary Stewart
A five-act historical drama following the life of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Mary Stuart
Imprisoned Mary, Queen of Scots, awaits a reprieve from Elizabeth I while her supporters plot to free her; after an invented meeting between the queens and a failed rescue attempt, Elizabeth signs the death warrant and Mary is executed.
Mary Stuart
Mary Stuart is an 1840 historical tragedy by the Irish writer James Haynes. It is based on the assassination of David Rizzio, a courtier to Mary, Queen of Scots. The play was staged as part of an ambitious plan to relaunch the reputation of London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the new manager William John Hammond, but faced issues of censorship from Charles Kemble and the Lord Chamberlain's office. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 22 January 1840. The original cast featured Mary Warner as Mary Stuart, William Macready as Earl of Ruthven, Samuel Phelps as Earl of Darnley, Henry Howe as George Douglas, Edward William Elton as Rizzio, George Yarnold as Earl of Bothwell, Sarah West as Countess of Argyle and Fanny Cooper as Celine. Haynes dedicated the work to Macready.
Mary Tudor
A history play portraying the reign of Mary I of England in the sixteenth century.
Mary of Scotland
Mary of Scotland was a 1933 Broadway three-act play written in blank verse by Maxwell Anderson, produced by the Theatre Guild, directed by Theresa Helburn and with scenic and costume design by Robert Edmond Jones. It ran for 248 performances from November 27, 1933 to July 1934 at the Alvin Theatre. Anderson's son Quentin Anderson played a warder. It was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1933-1934. It was adapted into a 1936 film Mary of Scotland mostly directed by John Ford and starring Fredric March and Katharine Hepburn. A rehearsal for the play provided the setting for a 1976 sketch of "Mama's Family" on The Carol Burnett Show that featured Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, and Madeline Kahn.
Mary's Birthday; or the Cynic
The play opens with Parson Hawthorne talking to George Lordly (the titular cynic), with George's father in law, Adam, in the immediate vicinity. Notably, Adam has gone mad after Helen, his daughter and George's wife, ran off with another man, Harley. Parson Hawthorne laments that a man whom he had recently begun to promote turned out to have cuckolded a parishioner the previous night. George expresses amusement at his friend's anguish. Parson Hawthorne and George spot George's brother Vernon Lordly walking down the path with Alice Hawthorne, Parson Hawthorne's daughter. George suspects that Vernon is unfaithful to his fiancé, George's ward, Mary Stillworth, and is courting Alice instead. The pair enters, and upon finding Parson Hawthorne and George at the grotto, Alice breaks off her relationship with George. George takes Vernon aside and tells him that he is breaking Mary's heart. Vernon insists that Mary does not love him. After all the aforementioned characters have departed, with the exception of Adam, Helen and Harley return, apparently from Italy, bedraggled and malnourished. Helen tearfully reunites with her father. George insists that Mary and Vernon marry. Because this is what he wishes, Mary consents, and decides to marry Vernon the following day- even though she is secretly in love with George. In a soliloquy, George implies that he is in love with Mary, who soon afterwards discovers a letter from her deceased father that was intended to be discovered on her twentieth birthday. The letter discloses that George took the blame for an act of financial fraud that Mary's father had committed. Mary confronts her guardian with the letter, and demands that he tell the world the truth. George rebuffs his ward, asserting that he has a duty to her father, who nursed George after he was injured in a duel with Harley. Mary argues that he has fulfilled his duty by raising her, but George disagrees, and insists that he will travel to England after Mary and Vernon are wed, as he does not want to be a damper on their lives. Later, Mary tells Alice that she need not despair over Vernon; Mary will die shortly after her wedding, covertly implying that she will die of heartbreak because she is in love with George. The day of the wedding, as guests gather at Lordly's house, a funeral bell tolls. Mary declares that this is a sign of her impending death. Vernon helps Mary and George realize that the other reciprocates their feelings. Suddenly, Adam, who has just regained his sanity, enters. He has rung the funeral bells himself. He tells the partygoers that Helen and Harley have died, and confesses that the former was always in love with the latter, but was forbidden by her father to marry him due to his lack of wealth. Upon revealing this, Adam dies. Throughout the play, the servants Beale and Jane provide humorous commentary on the events of the plot.
Mary, Mary
The plot focuses on wisecracking cynic Mary and infuriatingly-sensible Bob, who have recently divorced and have not seen each other in nine months. They meet at his apartment in hopes that they can avert an audit by the Internal Revenue Service, and a snowstorm forces Mary to spend the night. The next morning, mutual friend and lawyer Oscar, Hollywood-heartthrob neighbor Dirk Winston, and Bob's considerably-younger fiancée Tiffany arrive on the scene. The comedy's humor is derived from discussions about income taxes, marriage, alimony, divorce, remarriage, extramarital affairs, weight-loss programs, exercise, and sex.
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary
Four women named Mary step out of the gospel narratives to tell their own stories. Their encounters reconsider faith, sacrifice, and rebellion through voices pushed to the margins of history.
Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots is a 1789 historical tragedy by the British writer John St John. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London on 21 March 1789. Its Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 22 December 1802. The original Drury Lane cast included Sarah Siddons as Queen Mary, John Philip Kemble as the Duke of Norfolk, James Aickin as Sir William Cecil, William Barrymore as Lord Herries, John Hayman Packer as Davison, Robert Benson as Earl of Shrewsbury, John Phillimore as Earl of Huntingdon, John Fawcett as Sir Amias Paulet, Matthew Williames as Beton, Sarah Ward as Queen Elizabeth, Jane Farmer as Lady Douglas and Charlotte Tidswell as Lady Scrope.
Maryša
Young Maryša's father promises her to Vávra, a widower, although she loves Francek. Francek leaves for war rather than remain in the village and watch her marry, while the imposed marriage strains the family.
Mas-Kom-Yah
After a factory owner's son returns from abroad having renounced Islam, he falls out with his father as workers seize the factory. A worker portrayed as secretly Jewish incites the group to murder the owner, framing the play's political drama through antisemitic conspiracy tropes.
Mashetani
In Dar es Salaam before the Arusha Declaration, friends Juma and Kitaru rehearse a play in which the Devil torments Man. Their friendship strains as Juma's displaced family confronts loss while Kitaru's family gains wealth, bringing their class conflict and opposing political ideals into the open.
Masks and Faces
Masks and Faces is a British historical comedy play written by Charles Reade and Tom Taylor which was first performed in 1852. It features the Irish actress Peg Woffington (1720–1760) as a major character. It proved popular, earning the writers £150. The following year, to capitalize on the play's success Reade wrote a novel Peg Woffington which was also a major hit.
Masque at Ashby Castle
A welcome for the Countess of Derby unfolds into a masque at Ashby Castle. An enchantress and Saturn greet her, then Cynthia appears in a cloud-borne chariot to converse with Ariadne; four knights and four gentlemen masque, present shields, and invite guests to dance. An eclogue and Niobe's gift accompany the Countess's departure.
Masque at the Baptism of Prince Henry
At the baptism celebrations for Prince Henry, a court masque uses a moving ship laden with sugar fish and musical performances to dramatize James VI and Anne of Denmark's sea journey and royal union. Six costumed maidens embody virtues, while allegorical sea figures and tableaux celebrate the prince's lineage and succession.
Masquerade
In aristocratic St. Petersburg, jealous Yevgeny Arbenin concludes that his wife Nina has been unfaithful after she loses a bracelet at a masquerade. He poisons her, then discovers a letter proving her innocence and goes insane. The play's final version adds The Unknown, through whom Arbenin is punished for his act.
Mass Appeal
Father Tim Farley is highly popular with his parishioners due to his charm, wit, easy-going manner, and entertaining (but unchallenging) sermons. One Sunday, seminarian Mark Dolson interrupts Farley's sermon to challenge his stance on the ordination of women. The pastor is outraged yet intrigued by the young man, and asks to have him assigned to work with him. Dolson is a firebrand eager to change the Church. He enjoys attacking Farley's "song and dance theology" and questioning why he drinks so much. Dolson feels it is his job to shake parishioners out of their complacency. Farley likes Dolson, but sees that he will never succeed as a priest if all he does is irritate people and make enemies. Each man has something to teach the other about how to perform his priestly duties.
Master Clarke
Master Clarke is an 1840 historical play by the British writer Thomas James Serle. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 26 September 1840. It revolves around the life of Richard Cromwell, deposed Lord Protector of England, during the seventeenth century.
Master Class
The opera diva Maria Callas, a glamorous, commanding, larger-than-life, caustic, and surprisingly funny pedagogue is holding a singing master class. Alternately dismayed and impressed by the students before her, she retreats into recollections about the glories of her own life and career. Included in her musings are her fierce hatred of her rivals, the unforgiving press that savaged her early performances, her triumphs at La Scala, and her relationship with Aristotle Onassis. It culminates in a monologue about sacrifice taken in the name of art.
Master Olof
The historical drama follows Protestant reformer Olaus Petri's struggle against the Roman Catholic Church in sixteenth-century Sweden.
Master and Man
A four-act melodrama in which Jack Walton competes with Robert Carlton and Humpy Logan for Hester Thornbury's love.
Mastergate
A congressional committee investigates an alleged covert arms scheme routed through a film company making an action movie. The hearings parody Watergate, Iran-Contra and political doublespeak, turning committee procedure and evasive language into the play’s central subject.
Match
Tobi is an aging dancer, choreographer and teacher who enjoys knitting. His quiet life is interrupted when Mike and Lisa enter his home under the pretense of interviewing him for Lisa's thesis.
Match Me in London
In an imaginary Spanish court, the king takes the married Tormiella from her shoemaker husband, while his brother plots to usurp the throne and the queen plots against her rival. A revenge scheme and a succession of apparent deaths, executions, and reversals ultimately lead the king to send Tormiella back to her husband and forgive his enemies.
Maternity
Maternity deals with out-of-wedlock birth and the relations of motherhood to society.
Matkalla Porkkalaan
A biographical drama about Soviet naval captain Ivan Belov and the events in Lauttasaari leading up to his death in 1944.
Matric Pass
Pratap, who fails the matriculation examination, confronts a society that treats certificates as measures of a person’s worth; his wife Thariktha’s certificate becomes part of the satire on outdated social values.
Matryoshka
In this Persian-language solo satire, Parsa Pirouzfar performs more than 30 characters across eight episodes adapted from selected short stories by Anton Chekhov.
Matsuyama tengu
The play centers on the exiled Emperor Sutoku's spirit, appearing in goblin form, and the poet Saigyō. Saigyō's poem about Sutoku's changed circumstances meets the emperor's drive for revenge; their tension between non-attachment and vengeance forms the dramatic core.
Mattavilasa Prahasana
Two drunken Kapalika mendicants, Satyasoma and Devasoma, discover that their skull-bowl is missing. Satyasoma accuses a Buddhist monk, and their quarrel escalates until a Pasupata mediates; a madman then returns the bowl, which he recovered from a dog. The one-act satire lampoons religious sects and their rival claims.
Maud's Peril
Maud's Peril in an 1867 play by Watts Phillips. It debuted in London at the Adelphi Theatre on 23 October 1867, and at Wallack's Theatre in New York City on 25 November 1867. The play is based in part on Le Forcat by Charles de Bernard.
Mauritius
The play focuses on two half-sisters, Jackie and Mary, who inherit a stamp collection from Mary’s grandfather which might be worth a fortune. The title refers to the "Blue Mauritius", one of the world's rarest stamps. The sisters become involved with three men, including Phillip, the owner of a stamp store, and Dennis, whose occupation is somewhat mysterious. The characters try to out-do each other in attempting to reap possible rewards from the stamp collection.
Mavourneen
Mavourneen is a 1915 historical comedy play by the British writer Louis N. Parker. It portrays a dalliance between Charles II and an young Irish woman in Restoration England. It ran for 98 performances at His Majesty's Theatre in London's West End between 23 October 1915 and 29 January 1916. The original cast featured Malcolm Cherry as Charles II, Lily Elsie as Patricia O'Brien, Gerald Lawrence as Buckingham and Athene Seyler as Catherine of Braganza. It also included C.V. France, Reginald Owen, Ben Field and Violet Graham. It was produced by Sir Herbert Tree while Joseph Harker designed the sets.
May Day
In a crowded Venetian comedy of intrigue and disguise, shy lovers Aurelio and Aemilia are brought together by their friend Lodovico, while soldier Quintiliano swindles others and the lustful Lorenzo is tricked into a humiliating disguise. A masked finale reveals hidden identities and unites the couples.
Maya from Madurai
A short play exploring the life and death of a drug dealer.
Mazel-tov
The cook Beyle and other servants struggle with the wealthy landlord upstairs, exposing the divide between the people who work below and those who live above.
McNeal
McNeal is a one-act stage play written by Ayad Akhtar.
McQueen
McQueen is a play by British playwright James Phillips and directed by John Caird. It received its world premiere at the St. James Theatre, London, in May 2015. Starring Stephen Wight and Dianna Agron, the story is set over the course of one night. It focuses on the visionary imagination of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, about a girl who breaks into the designer's home to steal a dress and is caught by McQueen. Following its premiere run, the play was transferred to the West End's Theatre Royal, Haymarket from August 27 to November 7, 2015.
Me Nathuram Godse Boltoy
A dramatization of Nathuram Godse’s defense plea, presenting the trial over Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination from Godse’s point of view.
Me and Molly
The year is 1919, and the Goldbergs have recently moved from "downtown" (a tenement) to "uptown" (a lower middle-class apartment). After the movers have finished bringing the Goldberg's possessions in, Molly is embarrassed when they ask her to sign the receipt. The play is a series of domestic situations like this, in which Molly and Jake try to fulfill their own aspirations while raising their children. Among other situations they encounter is helping Mr. Mendel and Vera Wertheimer get together as a couple, overcoming Jake's suspicion that Molly has pillaged their savings to buy Rosie a piano (a secret gift from Uncle David), and trying to persuade Cousin Simon to advance Jake the money to start his own business.
Me, Myself and I
Mother cannot distinguish her 28-year-old twin sons, OTTO and otto. When OTTO says he is leaving home to become Chinese and that his brother no longer exists, the claim unsettles otto and draws in his girlfriend Maureen; the comedy uses wordplay to probe identity and love.
Measure for Measure
When Duke Vincentio leaves Vienna in the hands of his deputy Angelo, Angelo revives a death penalty and sentences Claudio for fornication. Angelo then demands sex from Claudio's sister Isabella in exchange for his life; the disguised Duke intervenes through a series of deceptions and public revelations.
Measure for Pleasure
A Restoration-style farce set in 1751 follows romantic entanglements among nobles and servants, involving mistaken identities, mismatched lovers, deception and wordplay.
Medea
In Corinth, Medea takes revenge after Jason abandons her to marry Creon's daughter. She secures refuge in Athens, arranges the deaths of Creon and his daughter through poisoned gifts, then kills her own sons and escapes in a chariot sent by Helios.
Medea
After Jason leaves her for Creusa, Medea curses the king and his daughter, sends Creusa a poisoned robe, and pursues vengeance that extends to her own children. Seneca's Roman tragedy gives Medea more than half of its lines and a forceful central voice.
Medea
Medea is a 1730 play by the British writer Charles Johnson. It is about Medea from Greek mythology and based on the play Medea by Euripides. The original Drury Lane cast included Mary Porter as Medea, Robert Wilks as Jason, William Mills as Aegeus, Christiana Horton as Ethra, John Mills as Creon, Sarah Thurmond as Creusa, Thomas Hallam as Eumelus and John Corey as Therapion.
Medicine Show
A “living newspaper” survey of the health problem in America.
Medusa
Medusa recounts her transformation from a woman into a feared figure of Greek mythology. Moving between the ancient story and a contemporary rage room, the play examines violence, power, and women's anger.
Meet Mr. Callaghan
Meet Mr. Callaghan is a 1952 crime thriller play by the British writer Gerald Verner. It was adapted from the novel The Urgent Hangman by Peter Cheyney featuring the private detective Slim Callaghan. It premiered at the Kings Theatre in Southsea before transferring to the Garrick Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 340 performances between 27 May 1952 and 4 April 1953. The cast included Terence De Marney as Callaghan, Larry Burns, Jack Allen, Trevor Reid, John Longden, Lisa Daniels, Harriette Johns and Simone Silva. In 1953 Verner wrote another stage play featuring Callaghan, Dangerous Curves based on Cheyney's novel of the same title.
Meet the Browns
After the family patriarch dies, Mr. Brown and Cora join relatives preparing for the funeral. Family tensions surface around grief, a failed marriage, and an affair, before several relationships are reconciled.
Meet the Cartozians
In 1923, the Cartozian family meet with their Irish lawyer Wallace McCamant regarding their upcoming case before the Supreme Court. The Armenian-born Tatos Cartozian, an Oriental rug merchant living in Portland, Oregon, has lost his newly acquired citizenship due to the legal uncertainty of whether to classify Armenia as part of Europe, Asia, or the Middle East. McCamant presents the argument that they should be considered white by virtue of the word "Caucasian" referring to the Caucasus Mountains, which were originally part of Armenia. The recent events of the Armenian genocide weigh heavily on the family, who were forced to move to America as a result. McCamant argues they can win their case by hiding any aspects of their culture that would jeopardize their claim to being white, which leads to tensions among the family due to their varying skin tones and ability to grasp the English language. In July 2024, a group of four Armenian-Americans gather to be interviewed in the Christmas episode of a reality television series called Meet the Cartozians (a parody of Keeping Up with the Kardashians). The plan is for them to meet "the celebrity" (parodying Kim Kardashian), a well-known reality star who is distantly related to Tatos Cartozian, on camera. While waiting for her arrival, the group and their cameraman discuss their differing relationships to their heritage, as well as whether they consider themselves white or not as a result of the 1924 United States v. Cartozian, which Tatos won and was declared white. The group's differing experiences of racism soon leads to a full-blown argument over the topic, eventually leading the cameraman to cancel the production of the episode entirely. After most of the group has departed, "the celebrity" arrives on set to find the only remaining guest, Robert (played by the same actor as Tatos), eating some kadayif another guest had prepared. The two share the dessert while commiserating over their struggle to connect with their heritage, and the lingering trauma of displacement.
Meet the Wife
Meet the Wife was a 1923 three act Broadway comedy written by Lynn Starling and produced by Stewart and French, Inc. It ran for 232 performances from November 26, 1923 to June 1924 at the Klaw Theatre. Mary Boland starred as inadvertent bigamist Gertrude Lennox, Humphrey Bogart as the juvenile lead reporter Gregory Brown and Clifton Webb as sporting youngblood Victor Staunton. It was set in Gertrude Lennox's living room. It was adapted as a feature film also titled Meet the Wife in 1931 starring Laura La Plante.
Meeting Joe Strummer
Two men in their forties meet again at a Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros concert after years apart. Their dialogue jumps through memories of punk, divorce, class conflict, acid house and soap fame, testing whether they still hold to the punk idealism they call their ‘inner Strummer’. The two-hander is staged on a bare floor with rapid shifts in time and place.
Meghe Dhaka Tara
Neeta struggles to keep her household together as her own life deteriorates. Bratya Basu’s stage rendering of Ritwik Ghatak’s film blends cinematic elements with theatrical imagination.
Mehrarun ke Durdasa
A Bhojpuri drama about women’s oppression in a male-dominated society, addressing female foeticide, sati, purdah and equal property rights.
Meier Helmbrecht
A farmer's son turns to robbery and later returns as a repentant brigand. His father, stern but loving, gives him over to the authorities, while the mother embodies the family's grief. Ortner dramatizes the medieval lost-son subject with substantial changes.
Melancholy Play
Bank teller Tilly's melancholy attracts a tailor, a psychologist and a hairdresser, then gives way to overwhelming happiness. The characters' emotions spread and transform one another, including Frances's fantastical change into an almond, before they gather to restore her.
Mellem Slagene
A one-act historical drama set amid the medieval conflict between the Birkebeiner and Bagler factions, using modern dialogue and a tightly sustained dramatic tension.
Memoirs of the Actor in a Supporting Role
Two impoverished villagers arrive in Tehran during the early demonstrations of the 1979 revolution and are hired to impersonate workers, party members, students and other groups at demonstrations; their unwittingly reactionary work leads to catastrophic consequences.
Men Above the Law
Jealous Prince Platon Imshin imprisons his unfaithful young wife Nastassya and her lover, while attacking his brother. Nastassya’s drunken father frees the captives and sets fire to part of the estate before a governor restores order. A dying Platon pardons everyone in a strange reconciliation.
Men Do Not Go to War Over Women
A stage adaptation drawing on selected speeches by Helen and Clytemnestra from the Troy trilogy.
Men Should Weep
In a Depression-era Glasgow tenement, Maggie Morrison tries to hold together a crowded family struggling with poverty, unemployment, illness, and conflict. Her husband John and son Alec's violence drives family members away, while Jenny returns with a plan to help the family secure better housing.
Men and Women
Bank cashier William Prescott lets his innocent friend Edwin Seabury take the blame for money he has stolen. When Prescott learns that his fiancée knows his secret and would protect him, her devotion forces him to confront his guilt while the bank’s directors struggle to prevent its collapse.
Men in White
Men in White is a 1933 play written by American playwright Sidney Kingsley. It was produced by the Group Theatre, Sidney Harmon and James Ramsey Ullman, directed by Lee Strasberg with scenic design created by Mordecai Gorelik. It ran for 351 performances from September 26, 1933 to July 28, 1934 at the Broadhurst Theatre. The play won the 1934 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1933–1934.
Menaechmi
Two twin brothers, separated as children, arrive unknowingly in the same city. Their resemblance causes a chain of mistaken identities involving a stolen cloak, a dinner, a bracelet, and accusations of madness until they recognize one another and reunite.
Menschen und Leidenschaften
Yuri Volin must choose between his wealthy, overprotective grandmother and his financially struggling father, while he and his cousin Lyubov fall in love. A scheming housemaid spreads rumors, and Yuri misreads Lyubov’s conversation with another man as infidelity; after challenging his friend to a duel, he kills himself.
Mercator
In Athens, young merchant Charinus loves Pasicompsa, a slave he has brought home from Rhodes. His father Demipho also falls for her and schemes to acquire her, prompting a comic contest of deception and a dispute between father and son.
Merchandising
Two filmmakers lament the failure of their picture and the nature of Hollywood merchandising.
Mercury Fur
In a post-apocalyptic East London, a youth gang survives by selling hallucinogenic butterflies and staging parties for wealthy clients. When one party is organized around the torture and murder of a child, the gang must decide how far it will go to protect those it loves.
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