Stage Play: The Insanity of Mary Girard


This is a review of the Insanity of Mary Girard Girard, a one-act drama written by Lanie Robertson. The stage play was performed by Mt Pleasant High School UIL at Mt Pleasant High School auditorium on April 9 & 10, 2015, 7 p. m. and April 12, 2015, 2 p. m. Directed by Ms. Vivian Warren and Ms. Belinda Phelan.

The play was centered on the story of a wife Mary Girard was thrown into an asylum by her powerful Philadelphia businessman husband Stephen Girard. Mary married Stephen at age 16 and had an affair with another man. To hide his humiliation to the society, Mary was declared legally insane by her husband when she got pregnant by her lover. According to Robertson, “Stephen Girard's concern for his wife's welfare was genuine, he sought every known medical solution, and even after Mary was committed, he ensured that she was afforded every luxury possible.” 

 The first scene was seen Mary locked in a “tranquilizer chair” in the asylum as the "furies" danced around. Each furies also plays another person in her life: the warder, her mother, her husband's mistress, Mr. Phillips, who runs the asylum, and Mrs. Hatcher, whom Mary's baby was given to, unfortunately baby died a month after birth.

The Award winning UIL One act Play, The Insanity of Mary Girard, is a drama of abuse and lack of power of women, how men uses monetary power to control a woman’s fate, both physically and mentally, and the society's treatment to the mentally ill. In today’s society, the story still exists, men still believes they have control over women. Through this play, we also viewed the stigmas that comes with someone who is insane.  

The high school students who played the characters did great and everybody enjoyed the play. I can see how these kids dedication to theater paid up after the superb performance. The students gave their best for the success of their show. The play left the audience the question of whether Mary was insane or not. The production brought the audience to evilness of men and society and the plight of its victim. The director of the school play guided the casts effectively on each characters they portrayed.

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