A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

Marilyn/God

Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy  /  1w

Rosary Hartel O'Neill

An exploration of the multi-levels of complexity of cult goddess Marilyn Monroe - her
vulnerability, anger, and how Americans' worship of beauty and fame
fueled her rise to stardom.

Marilyn/God

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w
  • Duration
    Duration
    60 minutes (1 hour)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography
  • Suggested Use
    • Monologues
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Pitch Magazine's Best One-Woman Show 2016

Details

Summary
Acclaimed in Norway and work shopped with the Actors Studio, NYC, this comedy captures the effervescent humor of Marilyn Monroe confused and intrigued by the signs she must follow to climb her way into heaven. Marilyn has just died and must audition for heaven. Will she get into heaven? The play explores the multi-levels of complexity of cult goddess Marilyn Monroe - her vulnerability, anger, and how Americans' worship of beauty and fame fueled her rise to stardom. The action takes place in the mind of Marilyn on an empty stage with a chair.
History

Marilyn/God has received several productions including being a part of the Faulkner Festival and Southern Rep Theatre in New Orleans, Page/Torn Theatre, and the Abingdon Theatre in New York City.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups
MARILYN MONROE – a movie star, 36; dressed in a fluid, cream-colored, silk gown slit to the thigh, sandal heels; looks tattered
VOICE and AGENT - Marilyn’s Judges, offstage for the course of the play

One actress onstage and two or more voices representing the various people in Marilyn's life.

  • Time Period 1960s
  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes
  • Additional Features Special Effects
  • Duration 60 minutes (1 hour)
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Media

REVIEWS 

"a nuanced, uncomfortably intimate script with the curb appeal of Starlight Express." - The Pitch, Read More 

"[Marilyn/God] adeptly dissects both Marilyn's privilege as a Hollywood megastar, the searingly felt trials of her lost loves, and her descent into drug abuse." - Artist Review Kansas City, Read More 

"FIVE STARS! A one-woman bonanza!" - Kansas City Examiner, Read More

"...a one-act psychological melodrama with dashes of dark comedy that histrionically, but ably, explores the destructive nature of fame." - Kansas City Star, Read More

"This is wonderful material for a director, because you are not trapped by realism. Anything can happen." - director Branden McCall, Read More 

RELATED ARTICLES ON BREAKING CHARACTER 

Marilyn at 90
by Meagan Meehan
June 29, 2016

Photos

  • Marilyn/God

    Image: Courtesy of Rosary O'Neill

  • Marilyn/God

    Image: Courtesy of Rosary O'Neill

  • Marilyn/God

    Image: Courtesy of Rosary O'Neill

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size No Chorus

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Rosary Hartel O'Neill

Rosary Hartel O'Neill

Rosary Hartel O’Neill is the author of 25 plays, 18 published by Samuel French, Inc., and four books of nonfiction. The fourth edition of her text The Actor’s Checklist is used in schools nationwide.

Her book New Orleans Voodoo: A Cultural History (co-written with Rory Schmi ...

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