Bozeman Magazine

The Blue Slipper Theater in Livingston presents Mary Page Marlowe, by Tony- and Pulitzer-winning playwright Tracy Letts, May 5th through 7th and 11th through 14th. Performances on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will begin at 8pm with Sunday matinees at 3pm.

Mary Page Marlowe premiered in 2016 at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater Company, followed by an off-Broadway run in 2018. Known for his complex portrayals of the human psyche, Tracy Letts expands what at first appears to be an intimate snapshot of one woman’s ordinary life into a sweeping portrait chronicling seven decades, with five actresses playing the title role. In a series of elegant, nonchronological scenes, the play hopscotches through Mary Page Marlowe’s quiet existence as an accountant from Ohio — complicating notions of what it means to lead a “simple life.” The show beautifully captures the fragility of life and the moments we tend to ignore as pointless, only to look back and understand how they affected our choices and life trajectory.

Bozeman actress, director, and producer Cara Wilder directs a cast of 18 actors from Bozeman and Livingston. Wilder produced and acted in Letts’ August: Osage County a decade ago, and will also be playing Mary in two scenes. Other actresses playing Mary in various stages of life are Jenna Ciralli, Mary Orr, Meriweather Campbell, and Jessica Lee. Rounding out the large cast are Daniel Erickson, Marc Beaudin, Lou Morris, John Henry Haseltine, Carolyn Peavy, Immanuela Meijer, Emily Jones, Beau Linnell, BB Webb, Lisa Garcia, Isabel Huston, Emma Huston, and Finn Johnson.

The New York Times called the play, “Exquisite...Beautiful and affecting, like flipping through a friend’s photo album in no particular order...” while the Wall Street Journal said, “Tracy Letts is a poet of the ordinary, a playwright who writes about commonplace lives in uncommon ways...Mary Page Marlowe is the most purely beautiful play that Mr. Letts has given us.”

Seating at the Blue Slipper is limited, and tickets for Mary Page Marlowe will be available at www.blueslipper.org, beginning April 12th. This production is recommended for ages 15+. Please call (406) 222-7720 for more information.