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Murder Mistaken

Play · 1952

Murder Mistaken is a 1952 thriller play by the British author Janet Green. It first appeared at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cardiff under the title Teddy Bare's Picnic. It then transferred to London's West End under its new title first at the Ambassadors Theatre and then at the Vaudeville Theatre. It's West End run lasted 156 performances between 4 November 1952 and 28 March 1953. The West End cast included Derek Farr, Anthony Marlowe, Phyllis Morris, Iris Hoey, Brenda de Banzie, Patricia Burke and Rosalie Crutchley. It appeared on Broadway under the alternative title Gently Does It, lasting for thirty seven performances at the Playhouse Theatre. Green wrote a novelisation in 1953 with Leonard Gribble.

Mustapha

Play · 1739

Mustapha is a 1739 tragedy by the British writer David Mallet. It is based on Mustafa, the son of Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent. The original cast included James Quin as Solyman, William Milward as Mustapha, Thomas Wright as Zanger, William Mills as Rustan, Richard Winstone as Mufti, William Havard as Achmet, Elizabeth Barry as Roxalana and Anna Marcella Giffard as Emira. The prologue was written by Mallet's friend James Thomson. The play was dedicated to Frederick, Prince of Wales who had become a popular symbol of the Patriot Whigs including Mallet and Thomson.

My Big Gay Italian Wedding

Play · 2003

My Big Gay Italian Wedding satirizes the controversies surrounding same-sex marriage as well as gay and Italian stereotypes. Anthony Pinnunziato, a gay Italian-American from a large chaotic family, wishes to marry his boyfriend Andrew Polinski in a traditional Italian ceremony. Anthony's overbearing mother won't give her blessing unless Andrew's estranged mother also gives her blessing and the ceremony is performed by a priest. Matters are further complicated by Andrew's ex-boyfriend, intent on breaking up the couple.

My First Time

Play · 2007

My First Time is an off-Broadway play that opened on July 12, 2007, at New World Stages and ran until January 22, 2010. The show is based on a website that grew in popularity in 1998. The site "allowed people to anonymously share their own true stories about their First Times" and "features four actors in hysterical and heartbreaking stories about first sexual experiences written by real people... just like you." Experiences submitted by the audience before the performance are featured during the show, and My First Time received press from CNN.com, TMZ and Forbes when it featured a promotion during which virgins could attend the play for free.

My Neighbour Totoro

Play · 2022

In 1950s Japan, two girls, Satsuki and Mei, whose mother has been hospitalised with tuberculosis, relocate to a village in the countryside. Their new house, in which they live with their professor father, Tatsuo, is haunted with soot spirits, susuwatari, and they encounter Totoro, a "forest spirit who looks like the result of an experimental breeding programme involving a chinchilla, a barn owl and a bean-bag sofa". Mei is the first to discover him, and he comforts the girls with his presence.

My Night with Reg

Play · 1994

All three scenes are set in the sitting room of Guy's London apartment: during Guy's flatwarming party (Scene 1); after Reg's funeral, some years later (Scene 2); and after Guy's funeral (Scene 3). The group, most of them in their thirties, meet at irregular intervals, often at Guy's place. Guy himself is a lonely man. Ever since their university days, he has had a crush on John, but he has never dared to tell him about it. Rather, he lives a solitary life, which he only spices up with phone sex and an occasional visit to a gay pub – that is where he meets 18-year-old Eric, who then helps him decorate his new flat. On holiday on the island of Lanzarote, he meets a gay man who eventually forces himself on Guy and has unprotected sex with him. At his flatwarming party, he has just come back from his holiday and is still quite shocked about what happened. It is hard for him not to start crying when, as a present, John gives him a cookery book specialising in dishes for one. The most popular of the gay circle is Reg, who is conspicuously absent from the party. Reg has had a long-term relationship with Daniel, but Daniel himself suspects Reg of occasionally being unfaithful to him. In fact Reg seems to be sleeping with every man he can get hold of (as it seems, even with the vicar). In the course of the play, John, Benny and even his seemingly faithful companion Bernie have secret sex with Reg. They all confide in Guy. It hurts Guy most to hear that John – whom he himself fancies – is having an affair with Reg, thus betraying their mutual friend Daniel. After his fling with Reg, Benny panics because he thinks he might have contracted HIV, but he does not confess it to his partner, Bernie. When Reg is dying from AIDS, he is looked after by his partner, Daniel. The next one to die is Guy, the only one who has not had sex with Reg and who seems to have been infected with HIV when he was raped during his holiday in Lanzarote. Guy bequeaths his new flat to the love of his life, John who does not need it at all because he comes from a rich background. It is John who, somewhere in the flat, finds all kinds of memorabilia dating back to their student days. The play serves as a "tip of the hat" to iconic musician Sir Elton John, with the names of all the characters being part of Eltoniana: Reg (Elton's birth name); Daniel, Benny, Guy (all from Elton John hit songs), John (the singer's appropriated surname, his homage to Long John Baldry), and Bernie (the Christian name of Elton's longtime lyricist, Bernie Taupin). Eric may be a reference to Eric Clapton, with whom John toured in 1992. Daniel gives Guy a recipe book by a Gertrude Pinner, a reference to the town in which Elton John grew up.

My Sister Eileen

Play · 1940

My Sister Eileen is an American comedy stage production, written by Joseph A. Fields and Jerome Chodorov, based on autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney. The stories were originally published in The New Yorker and then collected and published as the book My Sister Eileen in 1938. The plot focuses on Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, sisters from Ohio who relocate to New York City in search of fame and fortune. Witty Ruth aspires to be a published writer, while pretty Eileen dreams of success as an actress. Their financial circumstances force them to rent a dingy basement studio apartment in a Greenwich Village building owned by Mr. Appopoulos, one of many colorful characters who cross their path. The Broadway production, produced by Max Gordon and directed by George S. Kaufman, opened 26 December 1940 at the Biltmore Theatre. It transferred three times during its run of 864 performances: to the Martin Beck Theatre, opening 4 August 1942; to the Ritz Theatre, opening 23 November 1942; and to the Broadway Theatre, opening 13 December 1942. The original cast included Shirley Booth as Ruth Sherwood, Jo Ann Sayers as Eileen Sherwood, Morris Carnovsky as Mr. Appopoulos, and Richard Quine as Frank Lippencott, a drugstore soda jerk with an eye for Eileen. Peggy Knudsen replaced Sayers in June 1942 (when she left to be married), and Quine was replaced by Henry Jones, who in turn was replaced by Max Showalter. Eileen McKenney, an executive assistant to Walt Disney and the inspiration for the play's title character, and her husband, novelist and screenwriter Nathanael West, were killed in an automobile accident in El Centro, California on December 22, 1940, four days before the Broadway opening, while they were driving to the Los Angeles Airport to board a plane for New York to attend the play's premiere. Her sister Ruth consequently did not attend the premiere and never saw the play. Fields and Chodorov adapted their play for the 1942 film that opened while the play was still running on Broadway, as well as the 1953 musical Wonderful Town. It also served as the basis for the 1960–1961 television sitcom of the same title.

My Wife's Family

Play · 1930

My Wife's Family is a comedy play by the British-based American writer Fred Duprez based on an earlier story by Harry B. Linton and Hal Stephens. It premiered at the Princes Theatre, Bradford before transferring to the Garrick Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 118 performances between 3 March and 13 June 1931. The original West End cast included Ernie Lotinga, Arnold Bell, Hugh E. Wright and Joan Ingram. It was revived on a number of occasions and made into several films. A farce, the play's comedy revolves around a newly-married wife who overhears her husband talking about a Baby grand piano and mistakenly believes he has an illegitimate child.

Mélo

Play · 1929

Pierre Belcroix and Marcel Blanc are violinists and lifelong friends living in Paris in the 1920s. While Marcel has become famous and Pierre has not, both are happy with their lives. Pierre is happily married to Romaine, a stylish young flapper. However, Marcel meets and falls in love with her, which Pierre little suspects. Romaine carries on her affair with Marcel, even as Pierre falls ill, which she may have deliberately exacerbated with her treatment in order to murder him. Soon Marcel goes on a concert tour, and Romaine abandons Pierre for a romantic tryst. When Marcel returns, Romaine reconsiders the affair, and realizes that she loves both Pierre and Marcel. She decides that she does not want to hurt either her husband or her lover, and as no other solution seems possible, she commits suicide. Three years later, Pierre visits Marcel to seek the truth, and Marcel tells him that no illicit affair occurred, thereby honoring her memory.

NASSIM

Play · 2017

NASSIM is a seventy five minute play by Nassim Soleimanpour that features new actors with no rehearsals performing each day, a format similar to Soleimanpour's prior play, White Rabbit Red Rabbit. When the actor opens the sealed envelope, it reveals the first page of the script, which eventually reunites them with the playwright, the one constant in each performance. Guest actor and playwright must navigate the boundaries, including the Persian language, throughout the performance's duration. The show premiered in London, won the 2017 Fringe First Award at Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was performed in 20 countries in a 200-day span in 2018. It was produced Off-Broadway by Barrow Street Productions at New York City Center from December 12, 2018 – April 20, 2019. Among the actors who took a turn in the role were: Jelani Alladin, Guillermo Diaz, Will Eno, Marin Ireland, Tracy Letts, Alison Fraser, Michael Shannon, Phillipa Soo and Michael Urie.

Neglected Virtue

Play · 1696

Neglected Virtue is a 1696 tragedy by the Irish writer Charles Hopkins. It is also known by the longer title Neglected Virtue; or, The Unhappy Conquerour. The original Drury Lane cast included George Powell as Phraates, Hildebrand Horden as Artaban, Thomas Disney as Memnon, John Mills as Castillio, William Pinkethman as Castillio junior, William Bullock as Bretton, Thomas Simpson as Curio, Jane Rogers as Alinda, Mary Powell as Eudora, Frances Maria Knight as Thermusa and Margaret Mills as Emilia.

Nellie, the Beautiful Cloak Model

Play · 1906

Nellie Grey is a young woman who works in the cloak department of a department store. She lives in a boarding house with her abusive great uncle and his handicapped son, Tom. Long separated from her mother, she is unaware that she has a fortune coming to her. Her nefarious cousin, Walter Hilton, hopes to secure the money for himself. He first intends to marry Nellie, but her co-worker Hortense Drake has her own eyes on Walter, so Hortense convinces him that it is better to dispose of Nellie completely. Nellie is then subjected to four acts of plots against her by Walter and Hortense. They tie her to train tracks, but she is rescued by Jack Carroll, a handsome young man who lives in the boarding house. They try to crush her with an elevator, but Tom saves her. Walter ties her to the mast of a yacht, but a co-worker from the store frees her. She is blown off a bridge with a bomb, but Jack pulls her from the water. Only in the fourth act is Walter finally thwarted, and Nellie is reunited with her mother.

Nemesis (Thomas play)

Play · 1921

Setting: New York City John Kallan in enraged over his wife Marcia's infidelity with the young artist, Mr. Jovaine. He plots revenge, and murder's Marcia while carefully planting manufactured evidence that implicates Jovaine as the killer. A court trial ensues and Jovaine is convicted of the crime. He is sentenced to death and is executed. John Kallan stands outside the gates of Sing Sing at the time of the execution, and delivers a monologue on the infallibility on circumstantial evidence.

Nero

Play · 1674

The Tragedy of Nero, Emperour of Rome is a 1674 tragedy by the English writer Nathaniel Lee. It was originally performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane by the King's Company. The first Drury Lane cast included Charles Hart as Nero, Michael Mohun as Britannicus, Nicholas Burt as Petronius, William Wintershall as Otho, Edward Lydall as Piso, William Cartwright as Seneca, Thomas Clark as Drusillus, John Coysh as Plautus, Marmaduke Watson as Silvius, Martin Powell as Mirmilon, Philip Griffin as Caligula's Ghost, Rebecca Marshall as Poppea, Katherine Corey as Agrippina, Elizabeth Cox as Octavia and Elizabeth Boutell as Cyara.

Next Door Neighbours

Play · 1791

Next Door Neighbours is a 1791 comedy play by the British writer Elizabeth Inchbald. It premiered at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket on 9 July 1791. The Irish premiere took place at the Crow Street Theatre in Dublin on 29 April 1795. The original Haymarket cast included John Palmer as Sir George Splendorville, Stephen Kemble as Mr Manly, Robert Baddeley as Mr. Blackman, Robert Palmer as Mr. Lucre, Robert Evatt as Lord Hazard, James Aickin as Willford, John Bannister as Bluntly, Elizabeth Heard as Lady Bridget Squander and Elizabeth Kemble as Eleanor.

Ngaahika Ndeenda

Play · 1977

In post-independence Kenya, peasant farmer Kĩgũũnda and his wife Wangeci face a visit from wealthy businessman Kĩoi, whose son has courted their daughter Gathoni. As the family considers a church wedding, Kĩoi uses their land deed to secure a loan, then rejects them when Gathoni returns pregnant and abandoned. Kĩgũũnda and Wangeci lose their land and livelihood, and the household’s private crisis becomes part of a wider struggle against elite exploitation.

Nice People

Play · 1921

Nice People was a 1921 Broadway four-act comedy written and staged by Rachel Crothers, produced by Samuel H. Harris and starring Tallulah Bankhead and Francine Larrimore. After working with Bankhead in 39 East, Crothers wrote Nice People expressly for her. The general manager was William G. Norton, the scenic was designed by Navon Bergman, and John Kirkpatrick was the stage manager. It ran for 120 performances from March 2, 1921 to June, 1921, at the Klaw Theatre. It was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1920-1921. It was also Katharine Cornell's Broadway debut. It was adapted into the 1922 silent film Nice People, now believed to be lost.

Night of January 16th

Play · 1934

The plot of Night of January 16th centers on the trial of secretary Karen Andre for the murder of her employer, business executive Bjorn Faulkner, who defrauded his company of millions of dollars to invest in the gold trade. In the wake of a financial crash, he was facing bankruptcy. The play's events occur entirely in a courtroom; Faulkner is never seen. On the night of January 16, Faulkner and Andre were in the penthouse of the Faulkner Building in New York City, when Faulkner apparently fell to his death. Within the three acts, the prosecutor Mr. Flint and Andre's defense attorney Mr. Stevens call witnesses whose testimonies build conflicting stories. At the beginning of the first act, the judge asks the court clerk to call jurors from the audience. Once the jurors are seated, the prosecution argument begins. Flint explains that Andre was not just Faulkner's secretary, but also his lover. He says Faulkner jilted her to marry Nancy Lee Whitfield and fired Andre, motivating Andre to murder him. Flint then calls a series of witnesses, starting with the medical examiner, who testifies that Faulkner's body was so damaged by the fall that it was impossible to determine whether he was killed by the impact or was already dead. An elderly night watchman and a private investigator describe the events they saw that evening. A police inspector testifies to finding a suicide note. Faulkner's very religious housekeeper disapprovingly describes the sexual relationship between Andre and Faulkner, and says she saw Andre with another man after Faulkner's marriage. Nancy Lee testifies about her and Faulkner's courtship and marriage, portraying both as idyllic. The act ends with Andre speaking out of turn to accuse Nancy Lee of lying. The second act continues the prosecution's case, with Flint calling John Graham Whitfield—Faulkner's father-in-law and president of Whitfield National Bank. He testifies about a large loan he made to Faulkner. In his cross-examination, defense attorney Stevens suggests the loan was used to buy Faulkner's marriage to Whitfield's daughter. After this testimony, the prosecution rests and the defense argument begins. A handwriting expert testifies about the signature on the suicide note. Faulkner's bookkeeper describes events between Andre's dismissal and the night of Faulkner's death, and related financial matters. Andre takes the stand and describes her relationship with Faulkner as both his lover and his partner in financial fraud. She says she did not resent his marriage because it was a business deal to secure credit from the Whitfield Bank. As she starts to explain the reasons for Faulkner's alleged suicide, she is interrupted by the arrival of "Guts" Regan, an infamous gangster, who tells Andre that Faulkner is dead. Despite being on trial for Faulkner's murder, Andre is shocked by this news and faints. The final act continues Andre's testimony; she is now somber rather than defiant. She says that she, Faulkner, and Regan had conspired to fake Faulkner's suicide so they could escape with money stolen from Whitfield. Regan, who was also in love with Andre, provided the stolen body of his already-dead gang associate, "Lefty" O'Toole, to throw from the building. In cross-examination, Flint suggests Andre and Regan were using knowledge of past criminal activities to blackmail Faulkner. Stevens then calls Regan, who testifies that he was due to meet Faulkner at a getaway plane after leaving the stolen body with Andre; however, Faulkner did not arrive and the plane was missing. Instead of Faulkner, Regan encountered Whitfield, who gave him a check that was, according to Regan, to buy his silence. Regan later found the missing plane, which had been burned with what he presumes is Faulkner's body inside. Flint's cross-examination offers an alternative theory: Regan put the stolen body into the plane to create doubt about Andre's guilt, and the check from Whitfield was protection money to Regan's gang. In the play's Broadway and amateur versions, the next witness is Roberta Van Rensselaer, an exotic dancer and wife of O'Toole, who believes Regan killed her husband. This character does not appear in Rand's preferred version of the play. Stevens then recalls two witnesses to follow up on issues from Regan's testimony. The defense and prosecution then give their closing arguments. The jury retires to vote while the characters repeat highlights from their testimony under a spotlight. The jury then returns to announce its verdict. One of two short endings follows. If found not guilty, Andre thanks the jury. If found guilty, she says the jury have spared her from committing suicide. In Reeid's amateur version, after either verdict the judge berates the jurors for their bad judgment and declares that they cannot serve on a jury again.

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