A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Museum

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  9w, 9m

"Moving and beautiful [...] a passionate and thoroughly personal play about the whole world." - The Village Voice

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    9w, 9m

Details

Summary
Museum takes place on the final day of a group show of three fictional contemporary American artists being exhibited in a major museum of modern art. Over the course of the day some forty people walk through the show: art lovers, skeptics, foreigners, students, lost souls, fellow artists, and of course, museum guards. The play is about the movement and yearning of these people.

History

Museum premiered at the Los Angeles Actors' Theatre in April 1976 under the direction of Dana Elcar.

FIXED CHARACTERS

THE GUARD
MICHAEL WALL
FRED IZUMI

MALE CHARACTERS (able to be doubled) 

JEAN-CLAUDE
MR. HOLLINGSFORD
MR. SALT
PETER ZIFF
BOB LAMB
WILL WILLARD
TWO MEN IN PASSING
MR. GREGORY
BILL PLAID
GIORGIO
FIRST GUARD
SECOND GUARD
STEVE WILLIAMS
MR. MOE

FEMALE CHARACTERS (able to be doubled) 

FRANCOIS
ANNETTE FROEBEL 
CAROL
LIZ
BLAKEY
ELIZABETH SORROW
MRS. SALT
MAGGIE SNOW
MIRA ZADAL
BARBARA ZIMMER
BARBARA CASTLE
CHLOE TRAPP
ADA BLIDITSKY
GILDA NORRIS
TINK SOLHEIM
KATE SIV
LILLIAN
HARRIET
MAY
ZOE
JULIE JENKINS
MRS. MOE

  • Time Period Present Day
  • Setting A major American museum. Present day.

Media

REVIEWS

"Moving and beautiful [...] a passionate and thoroughly personal play about the whole world." - The Village Voice

"The gallery becomes a parable of humanity [...] [in this] comedy of absurdities with a serious message." - The New York Times

"Excellent 'slice of life' comedy [...] exceptionally good comment on the human condition." - Variety

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $130 per performance

Add-Ons

Take a look below at how you can enhance your show!

Authors

Tina Howe

Tina Howe (1937-2023) was a prolific and influential American playwright. Her most produced plays include Birth and After Birth, Museum, The Art of Dining, Painting Churches, Coastal Disturbances, Approaching Zanzibar and Pride’s Crossing. These and other works premiered at t ...

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