Mother Play

Mother Play – A Play in Five Evictions is a dramatic stage play written by American playwright Paula Vogel. The play debuted on Broadway at the Hayes Theater on April 25, 2024 as part of Second Stage Theater's 2023–2024 season starring Jessica Lange, Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Jim Parsons.^[1][2][3]

Mother Play
Written by	Paula Vogel
Characters	Phyllis Carl Martha
Date premiered	April 3, 2024
Place premiered	Helen Hayes Theatre
Original language	English
Genre	Drama
Setting	Washington D.C., 1962

Synopsis

Phyllis, a hardheaded matriarch, attempts to guide the direction of her children's lives as they move into a new apartment in Washington, D.C.^[4][5]

Cast and characters

Character	Broadway[1]
	2024
Phyllis	Jessica Lange
Carl	Jim Parsons
Martha	Celia Keenan-Bolger

Production history

The play was announced in 2023 to make its world debut as part of Second Stage Theater's 2023–2024 Broadway Season. The play was directed by Tina Landau. Previews were held from April 3, 2024 and the play officially opened on April 25, 2024.^[6] With a limited run, the play closed on June 16, 2024. The set was designed by David Zinn and costumes by Toni-Leslie James.^[7]

Accolades

2024 Broadway debut

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result	Ref.
2024	Tony Awards	Best Play	Paula Vogel	Nominated	[8]
		Best Actress in a Play	Jessica Lange	Nominated
		Best Featured Actor in a Play	Jim Parsons	Nominated
		Best Featured Actress in a Play	Celia Keenan-Bolger	Nominated
	Drama Desk Awards	Outstanding Play	Mother Play	Nominated	[9]
		Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play	Jessica Lange	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play	Celia Keenan-Bolger	Won
	Drama League Awards	Outstanding Production of a Play	Mother Play	Nominated	[10]
		Distinguished Performance	Jessica Lange	Nominated
			Jim Parsons	Nominated
	Outer Critics Circle Awards	Outstanding New Broadway Play	Paula Vogel	Nominated	[11]
		Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play	Jessica Lange	Won
		Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play	Celia Keenan-Bolger	Nominated
			Jim Parsons	Nominated

References

1. "Paula Vogel's 'Mother Play' is Gearing Up for Its World Premiere in Broadway's Second Stage Theater This April | Classicalite".
2. "Mother Play". Playbill.
3. Miranda, Genesis (March 20, 2024). "Paula Vogel's 'Mother Play' is Gearing Up for Its World Premiere in Broadway's Second Stage Theater This April". Classicalite.
4. "Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger Make a Move in Broadway's Mother Play (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
5. "'Mother Play,' Equity NYC EPA". Backstage.com.
6. "Paula Vogel's Mother Play Delays 1st Broadway Preview | Playbill".
7. Paulson, Michael (September 6, 2023). "Jessica Lange Leads Starry Cast of New Paula Vogel Play on Broadway". New York Times.
8. "'Hell's Kitchen' and 'Stereophonic' lead Tony Awards with 13 nominations each". NPR. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
9. https://playbill.com/article/stereophonic-leads-2024-drama-desk-awards-with-7-wins-including-outstanding-play
10. "2024 Drama League Award Nominations announced". Theatermania. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
11. "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved May 13, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• ​Mother Play​ at the Internet Broadway Database