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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
- Book
- Thomas Cullinan
- 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
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- College/University, Regional Theatre, Small Cast, Ensemble Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult, Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Non-singer |
Songs
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
Scenes
Key Terms
When an actor breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience.
A group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.
Videos
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Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Kevan Dunkelberg
Oklahoma-based drama teacher, actor and playwright