’night, Mother | ’night, Mother

At a glance:

Author: Marsha Williams
First Published: 1983
Type of Work: Psychological realism
Time of Work: The late 1970’s or early 1980’s
Setting: A small house on an isolated road somewhere in the United States
Principal Characters: Jessie Cates, Thelma (Mama) Cates
Genres: Domestic realism, Drama, Psychological drama, Domestic tragedy
Subjects: 1970’s, United States or Americans, Memory, Mothers, Parents and children, Suicide, Communication, Alienation, 1980’s, Honesty, Pain, Death or dying, Depression, mental, Truthfulness and falsehood, Loneliness, Life and death, Happiness, Epilepsy
Locales: United States

All the action of Marsha Norman’s ’night, Mother takes place in a house which belongs to Thelma Cates, called “Mama” throughout the play by her daughter, Jessie Cates. Examples of Mama’s handiwork are everywhere: afghans, needlepoint pillows, a knitting basket overflowing with her latest work in progress. A television set faces the sofa, its screen away from the audience; the audience can assume that the set is almost always turned on. A wicker basket is full of large, thick, glossy “ladies’ magazines.” Filled candy dishes stand on all tables....

’night, Mother | ’night, Mother

At a glance:

The Play

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