The Karl Marx Play
by Galt Macdermot, Rochelle Owens

The Karl Marx Play Book Cover — The Karl Marx Play Cover

Highlights

Female

Male

120 mins19th CenturyInterior SetPeriod Costumes

Awards & Recognition

Obie Award

Nominee! 1973 Obie Award, Best New Play

Synopsis

From the author's note: "This play evolved out of investigations of the circumstances and events, factual and imaginary, of the life of Karl Marx... a man with a mission, surrounded by his loving, demanding, maddening family and friend, Frederick Engels."

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
LEADBELLY A Black man who loves a "joke" – to make Karl Marx sit down and do the business of writing his great work.	male	—	A Black man who loves a "joke" – to make Karl Marx sit down and do the business of writing his great work.
FREDERICK ENGELS The heir to a manufacturing concern. A brilliant, charming capitalist who loves vigorous peasant wenches. He dreams of revolution. For years he has supported the Marx household with money from the family business.	male	—	The heir to a manufacturing concern. A brilliant, charming capitalist who loves vigorous peasant wenches. He dreams of revolution. For years he has supported the Marx household with money from the family business.
KARL MARX A genius, a father, a lover of cyrstal lakes and Shakespeare. There is a generator in him of fire and relentlessness.	male	—	A genius, a father, a lover of cyrstal lakes and Shakespeare. There is a generator in him of fire and relentlessness.
JENNY VON WESTPHALEN Marx's deelpy loving wife, romantic and aristocratic. She has too many burdens. But she will endure, protect, and have a nervous breakdown from time to time.	female	—	Marx's deelpy loving wife, romantic and aristocratic. She has too many burdens. But she will endure, protect, and have a nervous breakdown from time to time.
TRINKA, ELLY, LAURIE, SHIRLEE, KRISTA The daughters. They are jewels in Karl's eyes and ought to have the dowries of princesses. (The roles of the daughters may be played by three actors.)	female	—	The daughters. They are jewels in Karl's eyes and ought to have the dowries of princesses. (The roles of the daughters may be played by three actors.)
BABY JOHANN The son. A little, old man-child, profound and funny. It is as if he was truly born from a cabbage found in the Black Forest.	male	—	The son. A little, old man-child, profound and funny. It is as if he was truly born from a cabbage found in the Black Forest.
LENCHEN The housekeeper. Devoted to the whole family. Practical – but she has intertwined her limbs with Karl in passionate love. And when death comes in her old age she'll lie in a grave next to Jenny and Karl.	female	—	The housekeeper. Devoted to the whole family. Practical – but she has intertwined her limbs with Karl in passionate love. And when death comes in her old age she'll lie in a grave next to Jenny and Karl.