‘Mary and Me will come to the Hatbox from Jan. 28 to Feb. 13.
Set in Ireland 1986, Mary and Me is the story of fifteen-year-old Hannah Brennan, who lives in a claustrophobic small town. Sure, she has friends, but no one who understands her, no one she can confide in who will listen to her. And she is going to need a lot of understanding.
After touring Ireland, appearing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and in the Brighton Fringe in 2017 with playwright and actress Irene Kelleher as Hannah, Mary and Me began its United States premiere tour in New Hampshire in 2020. Directed by Peter Josephson and starring producer and actress Emily Karel as Hannah, this 75-minute one-woman show takes its audience on a journey of laughter, determination, love, and heartbreak.
It is the relevance of the play that first resonated with Karel.
“Hannah struggles against the constraints imposed upon her by the strict moral and social doctrine that governs her community. She laments the fact that people “don’t talk” to one another truthfully for fear of being ostracized,” Karel said. “Consequently, she has no one to turn to for help or guidance except Mary, a statue of the mother of Jesus who watches over a Magdalene Grotto. As a society, we continue to struggle with constraints imposed upon us by the doctrine of the day, whether that be religious or social, and the fear that we will be ostracized for expressing opinions and beliefs that may run contrary to what is deemed “acceptable.” Female bodily autonomy is, of course, another issue raised by the play. It is sobering to think that 36 years after the events in Mary and Me would have taken place, we are still unable to come to a consensus about a woman’s right to make decisions about her body.”
Despite the dark subject matter, Karel stresses that audiences will not come away from Mary and Me feeling beaten down.
“The playwright, Irene Kelleher, writes with nuance, compassion, and humor,” Karel said. “My hope is that no matter where an individual may stand on the issue of female bodily autonomy, they will leave the play with an understanding of the stakes for women who are in the position of carrying a pregnancy they do not wish to carry.”
Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for members, seniors and students and $12 for senior members. Tickets may be reserved by calling 603-715-2315 or purchased online at hatboxnh.com.