A Mad Person's Chronicle of a Miserable Marriage
1 m or 1 w approximate running time 1 hour 30 minutes
Sonia and Leo Tolstoy’s tempestuous marriage was exhaustively documented.
They were surrounded by intimate observers and poured every sordid detail into their respective diaries - which they shared with each other every day. The result is a fascinating record of their union - their passion, their love, their tantrums, and philosophical arguments - seen through conflicting points of view. Their passion for each other was unequivocal. It was their temperaments and their philosophical differences that drove them apart and resulted in Tolstoy’s death at a remote train station, while fleeing from his wife. This is a two character play for one actor. I’m not a great fan of one-person shows and this is the only one I’ve written. What drew me to this idea was the notion of a marriage as an internal conflict. Indeed the Tolstoys were so enmeshed in each other’s dysfunction that their diaries read as if an internal dialogue - or a near-psychotic episode. The conceit is that the actor (or mad person) alternately channels the two characters and morphs from one to the other on stage. The play can be performed by either a male or female actor. Pictured: John Andert as Sonia |
Productions - Readings - Awards
Outermost Performance Group - first production - 1995
Provincetown Theater Company - production - 1996
Provincetown Theaterworks - production - 2011
Stage Left Studios, NYC - production - 2012
Outermost Performance Group - first production - 1995
Provincetown Theater Company - production - 1996
Provincetown Theaterworks - production - 2011
Stage Left Studios, NYC - production - 2012