"What sets it apart is the way Letts has chosen to tell the story. Instead of a linear narrative, Mary Page Marlowe covers the eponymous midwestern Boomer's entire life - from babyhood to near to the end - in 11 scenes that run in non-linear fashion, with plenty of her story wilfully omitted, or slyly deployed late on. Moreover, rather than a single big central role, the title part is performed by five actors (six if you count a dummy of a baby),"
"There's Andrea Riseborough, the Oscar-nominated Brit character actor who hasn't been on a stage since the '00s. She makes up for lost time: in just three scenes she dominates the play as the middle-aged Mary Page. In the opening scene she speaks in a hushed voice, a dead-eyed mum explaining to her two kids that the family is breaking up. When questioned by her children, she sticks to an evasive, politician-like script."
Mary Page Marlowe traces a Midwestern Boomer's life from infancy to near the end in 11 non-linear scenes. The title role is divided among five actors, giving the production an anthology-like fragmentation of identity. Many moments of Mary Page's life are omitted or revealed out of sequence, creating surprises and gaps that shape understanding. The play foregrounds alcoholism and the impact of being the child of an alcoholic parent, suggesting cycles of behavior and limited choices. Andrea Riseborough appears in three key scenes as the middle-aged Mary Page, delivering a dominant, emotionally volatile performance.
#non-linear-narrative #multiple-actor-title-role #alcoholism-and-generational-trauma #andrea-riseborough
Read at Time Out London
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