If you are a director, actor, or teacher, this play offers a rich and challenging experience.
Robertson uses these Furies in a highly theatrical way, often having them share a single character's dialogue, with each Fury speaking a line in rapid succession, mimicking the chaotic and fragmented state of Mary's mind. As the play progresses, the constant psychological assault and the crushing reality of her imprisonment begin to have their intended effect. The final, haunting question of the play is whether Mary has finally, truly, become the "insane" woman her husband had her labeled as.
Set in 1790, the play follows Mary Girard, the wife of wealthy financier Stephen Girard. After Mary becomes pregnant by another man, her husband uses his legal right to declare her "insane" and has her committed to the basement of Pennsylvania Hospital. Concord Theatricals The Insanity of Mary Girard - Concord Theatricals the insanity of mary girard script pdf
The script is based on true events. In 1790, Mary Girard, the wife of wealthy financier Stephen Girard, was committed to a Pennsylvania hospital for the insane. Mary became pregnant by another man.
: Over the course of the play, Mary moves from desperate resistance to a final, tragic acceptance of her diagnosis. By the end, she chooses "insanity" as a form of liberation from her circumstances. Character Breakdown If you are a director, actor, or teacher,
The structural backbone of the script relies on "The Furies"—five physical manifestations of Mary’s anxieties, guards, inmates, and society's judgmental eyes. They torment Mary, mimic her voice, and force her to relive her past.
The official amateur and professional stage rights to The Insanity of Mary Girard are held by Concord Theatricals. While they sell physical acting editions, they also offer digital perusal scripts and e-scripts through their platform for verified accounts. The final, haunting question of the play is
The hospital administrator who justifies his cruelty through the guise of medical science. Major Themes and Analytical Insights
Many university and high school drama departments hold physical copies or institutional digital access to the script via theatrical databases like Drama Online or the internet archive library services.