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Big Mary: A Play by Dramatists Play Service Inc.

Name: Big Mary: A Play by Dramatists Play Service Inc.
Brand: Dramatists Play Service Inc.
Price: 32.95 AUD
Availability: InStock

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THE STORY: It is the summer of 1916, and the circus has come to the small town of Eddington, Tennessee. But the star of the show, an elephant named Big Mary ("the largest land animal in captivity"), is not happy: Her trainer, Maurice Weglellen, is

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SKU:9780822201175

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Description

THE STORY: It is the summer of 1916, and the circus has come to the small town of Eddington, Tennessee. But the star of the show, an elephant named Big Mary ("the largest land animal in captivity"), is not happy: Her trainer, Maurice Weglellen, is about to be married to a local belle, Ella Mae Clayshulte, and to commit his charge to the questionable care of his assistant, Red Lavellette. Disrupting the wedding ceremony, and then trotting off after the newlyweds, Big Mary reacts angrily to Red's attempts to bring her to heel by giving him a fatal toss over her head - which presents the townspeople with the problem of how to deal with crime by an elephant. The nearsighted mayor decides to mete out justice with a gun (but succeeds only in wounding an innocent bystander); the sheriff nervously (and without effect) orders Big Mary to cease and desist; and only the local preacher, Reverend Stokes, appears to keep his head. Eventually everybody in town gets involved in the situation, and, despite the pleading of Badger McQueen, a young black orphan girl who wants desperately to join the circus (black people can't in 1916), "wiser" heads prevail, and it is ordained that Big Mary must hang. Which, with the help of Old Bud Fenwick's derrick, she does - to the enlightenment of all, for, as the Reverend Stokes ironically points out, "Children learn what they learn from their elders" - which, it is hoped, means from the bad examples as well as from the good.

Originally written for high-school-age performers, and first performed by forty actors from ten different high schools in the Great Valley (Pennsylvania) School District, this vividly theatrical play can be produced effectively with half that many actors and with the roles played by individuals either older or younger than the text suggests. Using the simplest of means to tell its antic story of the day "they hung the elephant in Eddington, Tennessee," the play also carries a strong and pertinent message about racial prejudice, the mindless power of an alarmed mob, and the unreasoning fears that ignorance and lack of compassion can generate. Big Mary Publisher: Dramatists Play Service Inc. Format: Play

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Brand: Dramatists Play Service Inc.
Type: Plays
Publication: BIG MARY
Barcode: 9780822201175

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Delivery & finance options

Standard shippingFlat $7 Australia-wide, FREE over $150 — dispatched in 1–3 business days with tracking, then 4–9 business days depending on location.

Express shippingFlat $15 Australia-wide — choose Express at checkout for 1–3 business days depending on location.

Click & CollectFREE from our Footscray showroom — usually ready in 1–3 business days, we’ll confirm by email.

Pay your way. Split it into 4 interest-free payments with Afterpay or Zip at checkout (on orders $100–$2,000).

4.6 from 870+ Google reviews Independent Footscray music store since 1997. Read our Google reviews →

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Shipping & delivery

Free standard shipping on orders over $150. Most orders dispatched the next business day. Tracked & insured on every order over $30. Free Click & Collect from our Footscray showroom.
Returns

Arrived faulty, damaged, or not doing what it should? Return it within 7 days for a refund or exchange. After that, we'll arrange a manufacturer warranty repair and keep you posted throughout. All we ask is that it comes back in original condition, with all packaging and your proof of purchase. Your Australian Consumer Law rights always apply.
Warranty & support

Genuine, Australian-delivered stock. Authorised dealer. Real aftercare from real players on 03 4151 5751.