Mary's Monster by Maggie Lou Rader

On a dark night near the end of her life, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley wrestles with ghosts: her dead children, her sister, her famous husband, her mother, and Frankenstein, her most famous creation. Death has loomed over her entire life, and now, shovel in hand, she will reckon with it, one way or another.
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Mary's Monster

Recommended by

  • Liz Coley:
    17 Feb. 2021
    “ Gothic in mood, fluent and literate on the page -- this biographical story is dark, gripping, elucidating, and historical. As a window into mental illness, generational pain, and the battle between an artist and her art, it is brilliant. As a vehicle for a woman actor, it offers so much scope. Read it and perform! ”
  • Becca Howell:
    17 Oct. 2019
    “ Maggie has written a vivid and touching piece of theatre to showcase a legendary woman. Mary Shelley is presented in all her complexity both tragic and powerful through the lyrical and incredibly evocative language used. I was lucky enough to see this piece performed at Know Theatre in Cincinnati and it is something that has stuck with me. Cannot recommend enough! ”
  • Mollie Murk:
    4 Oct. 2019
    “ I had the thrill of seeing this performance last October at Know Theatre. In a time of year when many theatres produce horror-genre plays written by men that portray disproportionate violence against women, it was BEYOND refreshing to see Maggie Lou Rader’s Frankenstein-adjacent tour-de-force. Rader’s words spin a beautiful and gut-wrenching story of grief, grit, love, fight, and creation. She captures the lesser-known pieces of Mary Shelley’s innermost life, and makes us leave the theatre wondering what monsters we may have, only waiting for us to bring them to life. Read it! Produce it! Share it! ”
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Character Information

  • Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
    20's-50's,
    Any
    ,
    Female / Female Identifying (she/her)
    A woman at the end of her rope.
    Can be played by:
    • Age: 
      20s, 30s, 40s, 50s
    • Race/Ethnicity: 
      Any race/ethnicity
    • Gender: 
      Female, Non-binary

Development History

  • Commission
    ,
    Know Theatre of Cincinnati
    ,
    2018

Production History