Mother Play
Run Time:
1hr 30min, no intermission
1hr 30min, no intermission
Ages: 16+
Opened: April 25, 2024Upcoming Schedule:
Wednesdays at 7pm
Thursdays at 7pm
Fridays at 7pm
Saturdays at 2pm & 7pm
Sundays at 2pm & 7pm
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Mother Play - Broadway Tickets, News, Info & More
Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel (How I Learned to Drive) has written a bitingly funny and unflinchingly honest new play about the hold our family has over us and the surprises we find when we unpack the past.
It’s 1962, just outside of D.C., and matriarch Phyllis (Jessica Lange) is supervising her teenage children, Carl (Jim Parsons) and Martha (Celia Keenan-Bolger), as they move into a new apartment. Phyllis has strong ideas about what her children need to do and be to succeed, and woe be the child who finds their own path. Bolstered by gin and cigarettes, the family endures — or survives — the changing world around them. Blending flares of imaginative theatricality, surreal farce, and deep tenderness, this beautiful roller coaster ride reveals timeless truths of love, family, and forgiveness.
Mother Play - Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Mother Play
‘Mother Play’ Review: Jessica Lange Is an Unhinged Delight in Dysfunctional Family Drama on Broadway
7 / 10
While most of the production works flawlessly, there are two major missteps. Because viewers are well aware of the time periods (Martha calls out the years throughout the show’s 105-minute run time), some of the major plot points are highly predictable, taking away the story’s emotional power. Moreover, one particular scene of Phyllis at home alone simply doesn’t work. The segment is supposed to depict her loneliness and isolation, but the wordless 10 minutes is overlong and dull, belaboring a point that could have been made in less than half the time. Still, despite its imperfections, “Mother Play” is a genuinely engaging examination of a family trying to find equilibrium.
'Mother Play' review — Jessica Lange plays a powerhouse matriarch
8 / 10
The play works because of the cast’s incredible ability to play both young and old characters, and solemn and funny ones. In particular, Parsons’s humor shines as Carl, a quick-witted genius who holds the family together. One of the play’s throughlines is touch — or rather, the lack of it. Director Tina Landau beautifully incorporates moments of closeness and distance through careful staging.
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Video: On the Red Carpet at MOTHER PLAY Opening Night
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 26, 2024
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 26, 2024
Watch as Broadway World's Richard Ridge interviews the company of Mother Play on Broadway!
Photos: Inside Opening Night of MOTHER PLAY on Broadway
by Bruce Glikas - April 26, 2024
by Bruce Glikas - April 26, 2024
Mother Play officially opened on Broadway last night, April 25. We're taking you inside opening night in the all new photos here!
Review Roundup: MOTHER PLAY Opens On Broadway, Starring Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons & Celia Keenan-Bolger
by A.A. Cristi - April 25, 2024
by A.A. Cristi - April 25, 2024
Tony Award winner Celia Keenan-Bolger, Academy Award, Emmy Award, and Tony Award winner Jessica Lange, and Emmy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Jim Parsons return to Broadway in the Second Stage's production of Mother Play. Read the reviews!
Photos: See Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons & Celia Keenan-Bolger in MOTHER PLAY
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 23, 2024
by Chloe Rabinowitz - April 23, 2024
Get a first look at photos of Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger in Mother Play. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets.
Video: Jessica Lange Talks MOTHER PLAY on LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS
by Josh Sharpe - April 9, 2024
by Josh Sharpe - April 9, 2024
On Monday night, Jessica Lange appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk about her role in Mother Play as Phyllis, the matriarch of the family. Though she has worked extensively onstage (she was last seen on Broadway in the four-hour epic Long Day's Journey into Night,) this was the first time Lange has originated a role in a new work. Watch the video here!
Video: Jim Parsons Talks Playing a 14-Year Old in MOTHER PLAY on THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON
by Josh Sharpe - April 9, 2024
by Josh Sharpe - April 9, 2024
On Monday night, Jim Parsons appeared on The Tonight Show to talk about his role as Carl in Paula Vogel's Mother Play. Specifically, he discussed his approach to playing a 'floppy' 14-year old who lounges all over the furniture. Mother Play began previews April 3 and will officially open on April 25, 2024 at the Hayes Theater. Watch the video here!
Character Breakdown: MOTHER PLAY Cast Unpacks Their Roles
by Joey Mervis - April 13, 2024
by Joey Mervis - April 13, 2024
Previews are now underway for Second Stage's newest play- Paula Vogel's Mother Play. In this video, watch as the cast unpacks their roles!
Meet the Cast of MOTHER PLAY, Beginning Previews Tonight on Broadway
by Stephi Wild - April 3, 2024
by Stephi Wild - April 3, 2024
Second Stage Theater's Mother Play will begin previews on Broadway tonight, April 3. Meet the cast of Mother Play here!
MOTHER PLAY Starring Lange, Parsons & Keenan-Bolger Delays First Preview
by Sidney Paterra - March 26, 2024
by Sidney Paterra - March 26, 2024
Second Stage Theater's Mother Play has delayed its first preview. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets.
Video: Go Inside Rehearsals for Paula Vogel's MOTHER PLAY
by Nicole Rosky - March 26, 2024
by Nicole Rosky - March 26, 2024
'There are not a lot of mother plays written by women. I understand why... there's guilt, the understanding of how hard it is for women,' explained playwright Paula Vogel in a break from rehearsals for her aptly named, Mother Play. In this video, watch as the full cast and creative team gets ready for Broadway.
Photos: Meet the Company of MOTHER PLAY on Broadway
by Bruce Glikas - March 20, 2024
by Bruce Glikas - March 20, 2024
Next up from Second Stage Theater is the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s Mother Play! The cast and creative team met the press yesterday, and BroadwayWorld was there. Check out photos here!
Up on the Marquee: MOTHER PLAY
by Jennifer Broski - March 15, 2024
by Jennifer Broski - March 15, 2024
Next up from Second Stage Theater is the world premiere of Paula Vogel’s Mother Play, directed by Tina Landau. Check out photos for the Broadway marquee here!
Single Tickets for MOTHER PLAY Starring Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons & Celia Keenan-Bolger To Go On Sale Tomorrow
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 16, 2023
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 16, 2023
Single tickets for Second Stage Theater's upcoming world premiere of Paula Vogel’s MOTHER PLAY will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, October 17 at 12pm.
Mother Play FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What productions of Mother Play have there been?
Mother Play has had 1 productions including Broadway which opened in 2024.
What theatre is Mother Play playing at on Broadway?
Mother Play is playing at the Hayes Theatre (Broadway), which is located at 240 West 44th St. New York.
What awards has Mother Play been nominated for?
Mother Play has been nominated for several prestigious awards. Jessica Lange was nominated for Distinguished Performance at the Drama League Awards, as was Jim Parsons. Additionally, Mother Play was nominated for Outstanding Production of a Play at the Drama League Awards.
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