Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams stars in the Broadway premiere of MARY JANE, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog (4000 Miles, the recent Tony-nominated adaptation of A Doll’s House). Captivating, affecting and compassionate, it’s the story of a single mother in an impossible family situation. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, Mary Jane relies on unflagging optimism and humor, along with the wisdom of the women around her who have become a makeshift family, to take on each new day. But will inner strength and newfound friendships be enough to see her through? The New York Times calls Mary Jane “the most profound of Herzog’s many fine plays.” And The New Yorker raves, “beautiful and remarkable... Herzog has made theatre that shines.” Directing is the acclaimed Anne Kauffman (The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window).
All are rendered in lovely detail by Herzog and the five women of the cast, directed by Anne Kauffman with characteristic attention to the importance of offhand nuance. Information is revealed in a steady drip of medical jargon, bureaucratic obstacles and personal history; the moment-to-moment concerns in Mary Jane are often quotidian. (As a friend once advised the title character: “You’ll still have good days and bad days.”) The world of the play is unblinking but not bleak. Herzog shows the strain of Mary Jane’s situation, but she also succeeds in dramatizing kindness, attentiveness, honesty, connection.
Amy Herzog’s beautiful play “Mary Jane” is, at its core, a study of the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to care for her child. But the takeaway from time spent at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre goes beyond even that realization. You leave after 90 minutes with a near-crushing awareness of the unfairness of life.
2017 | Off-Broadway |
New York Theatre Workshop Production Off-Broadway |
2024 | Broadway |
Manhattan Theatre Club Original Broadway Production Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2024 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play | Rachel McAdams |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance | Rachel McAdams |
2024 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Mary Jane |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Play | Rachel McAdams |
2024 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Play | Mary Jane |
2024 | Theatre World Awards | Theatre World Award | Rachel McAdams |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Direction of a Play | Anne Kauffman |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play | Rachel McAdams |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Play | Amy Herzog |
2024 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Play | Leah Gelpe |
Videos