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).
Under Anne Kaufmann’s straightforward direction, and aided by Brenda Abbandandolo’s simple but effective costuming, four excellent actresses -- April Matthis, Susan Pourfar, Lily Santiago, and Brenda Wehle -- handle all the supporting parts with true aplomb, creating distinct characterizations in mere minutes. (Pourfar and Wehle also appeared in the play’s 2016 Off-Broadway debut at New York Theatre Workshop.)
Mary Jane is as much about community as it is about the tension of a bifurcated existence — the painful severance one feels in a society that renders the chronically ill and those caring for them invisible. Kauffman and Jellinek use the set, filled with revelatory moments of movement, to reflect the security of an apartment building in Queens versus the sterility of a hospital. Ben Stanton’s lighting attunes audiences to the pull of optimism against the seduction of nihilism. And in the conversations we find Mary Jane, in the face of despair and as a kind of self-protection, always choosing hope.
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