Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood
by Adam Szymkowicz

Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood Book Cover
Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood Cover

Highlights

90 mins Medieval (6th-14th Century) Ensemble Cast Unit Set/Multiple Settings Period Costumes Comedy

Synopsis

A gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale.

Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise, and leads a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John.

As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin?

What is the cost of revealing your true self in a time of trouble?

Modern concerns and romantic entanglements clash on the battlefield and on the ramparts of Nottingham Castle in this play about selfishness, selflessness, love deferred and the fight.

Always the fight.

The fight must go on.

Press Reviews

"The show thrives on its own playfulness and silly energy while still tying everything up at the end. Marian manages to present something important without taking itself too seriously."

— Theatre is Easy

"A rollicking, gender-bending romp... Szymkowicz has delivered a swashbuckling story of a what it takes to make change, and the networks and chosen families that keep that revolutionary spirit alive."

— New York Theatre Review

Characters

Character
Alanna Dale

Female

The Sheriff Of Nottingham

Male

Little John

Male, large

Lady Shirley

Female

Prince John

Male

Tanner

Any gender (can be doubled by actor who plays Theo or Lucy)

Will Scarlet

Female (played as male)

Much The Miller’S Son

Nonbinary (can be played by female, male, transgender, genderqueer or nonbinary individual)

Friar Tuck

Male (in smaller cast, can be played by the same actor who plays the Sheriff)

Tommy Of No Consequence

Played as male by any gender

Sir Theo The Punctual

Played as male by any gender

Sir Lenny The Observant

Played as male by any gender

Lucy

played as female (can be doubled as Sir Lenny or a Guard)

Guards

Played as male by any gender (as many or as few as you like – up to fifteen speaking parts). In a smaller cast, Guard 1 and Guard 2 are played by Theo and Lenny. In a larger cast, each time Guard 1 and 2 appear, they can be played by different actors. The actor who plays Tommy can play a Guard toward the end, too. Same for the actor who plays Shirley.Author's Note: All parts are race non-specific. Marian/Robin need not be white. When women are playing men, fake moustaches and beards are probably a good idea. Try very hard to have a diverse cast. Almost forty percent of the U.S. is non-white. Can at least forty percent of your cast be? It would also be very helpful to have transgender, genderqueer, and/ or nonbinary people involved in the production. Preferably more than one. The designations of female and male above can be used more as a guideline in the casting of this play. It would be great if Much was cast with a transgender, genderqueer, or nonbinary actor, but there are other parts that might be cast that way, too.

Robin/Marian

Female

Videos

Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood - Theatre of NOTE Promo

Publication

Publisher Samuel French
ISBN-13 9780573706578
ISBN-10 0573706573

Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood is a comedy play written by Adam Szymkowicz and published by Samuel French .

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Rating

3.5

69 ratings · 148 reviews

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Performance Rights

Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee: Minimum Fee: $110 per performance

Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)

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