Mary Jane's Pa (play)

Mary Jane's Pa is a 1906 American play by Edith Ellis. It is a comedy drama in three acts, with three settings, and fifteen principal characters. The story concerns a small town printer with wanderlust, who drops in on his wife and daughters after eleven years absence. The action of the play takes place on three separate days, spanning several weeks in September.

The play was first produced by Henry W. Savage, staged by Edith Ellis and Madison Corey, and starred Henry E. Dixey. It had tryouts at Albany, New York and other locations starting in November 1908, before premiering on Broadway during December 1908.

Mary Jane's Pa was novelized in 1909, and served as the basis for a 1917 silent film and a 1935 movie.

Characters Characters are listed in order of appearance within their scope.

Lead Lucille Perkins is 16, a seriously smart student, with her father's wanderlust but not his sang-froid. Portia Perkins is 36, mother of two girls, abandoned by Hiram; she has built two businessesBoth the Perkins Print Shop and the weekly Clarion newspaper are owned by Portia, but the big printing press is mortgaged by the local bank, for which Joel Skinner is a director. and bought a house on her own. Mary Jane Perkins, called Girlie, is 12, sweet, strong, and caring, much like her mother Portia. Hiram Perkins is a cultured printer, Portia's errant husband, who has wandered around the globe for 11 years. Supporting Ivy Wilcox is 18, a thoughtless small town belle, prisoner of her own vanity, next door neighbor to the Perkins. Barrett Sheridan is 23, a wealthy former journalist, now a traveling actor; he is in love with Lucille. Joel Skinner is 59, a small town boss, mendacious and a bully; he is running for state representative.He uses the expression "Great Caesar's ghost!" when thwarted or frustrated by Portia. Rome Preston is 40 and single, an honest attorney running for state representative; a good friend of Portia. Eugene Merryfield, called Gene, is the typesetter for the print shop and the Clarion, toyed with by Ivy. Featured Star Skinner is 20, son of Joel; indolent, obtuse, and mean-spirited, who likes Lucille and is pursued by Ivy. Claud Whitcomb is in his mid-thirties, a carter who sells firewood and tries to avoid paying for the Clarion. Miss Faxon is 55, a milliner and a moralizer, with an ancient indiscretion to live down.Thirty years earlier she had been seen at a restaurant eating oysters with a married man. Linc Watkins drives the local horse drawn "bus"; short and stout, he wears a fur coat in the summer heat.A man left it with Linc, saying he could use it until he returned. Linc is determined to get the maximum use of it, even if the weather isn't suitable. Lewellyn Green is 15, the boy of all work at the print shop. Loyal to Portia, and fond of Mary Jane. John Whipple is 50, Joel Skinner's smug political advisor and a grafter according to Portia. Bit players Passenger on Linc's bus for the train station. Mr. Dobbs is an elderly notary, who certifies the Miller affidavit accusing Skinner of low dealings. Mrs. Wilcox is Ivy's mother, Portia's next door neighbor. Jim is a friend of Star Skinner, going to Ivy's party. Walk-on A brass band; parade on-lookers; girls and boys going to Ivy's party; mob of citizens.

Synopsis The play takes place over the course of several weeks in September during the early 1900's, in Gosport, Indiana.

Act I (Interior of the Perkins home. Afternoon.) Lucille is studying when Ivy comes in the back door, her hair in rollers. She wants to borrow something, but hides when Barrett calls. He and Lucille discuss Portia's antipathy to their seeing each other. Star drops by, then Claud Whitcomb comes in, followed by Miss Faxon. Joel Skinner is next and Ivy's nerve finally breaks. She dashes from the house, hands covering her hair, shouting "Don't look!". The others are startled but Lucille shrugs and says "Ivy". Miss Faxon wants her ad in the Clarion changed, while Claud has a load of firewood for sale and some local news for the newspaper. Joel Skinner is cagy about his business with Portia. Linc arrives next, also with some tidbits for the Clarion. He takes Miss Faxon to the depot, while Portia quizzes Skinner. He wants her to stop the political attacks in the Clarion, accusing her of favoring his rival Rome Preston for personal reasons. Later, Mary Jane and Lucille voice their distress to Portia about rumors she is a "suffragist" and too friendly with Rome. Mary Jane also wonders why Portia has no photos of and never talks about her father.Without specifically saying so, Portia has allowed people in Gosport to assume she is a widow, since no one in this town knew Hiram Perkins. Lucille was only four and Mary Jane an infant when Hiram left, so neither remembers him. As Portia sits alone, a knock is heard and in walks Hiram after eleven years. Portia is astounded. Hiram recounts his years wandering the world; he has little money and looks like a tramp. Portia excoriates Hiram for his abandonment, but allows him to stay on condition he does the cooking and housework and tells no one of his identity. Hiram agrees and picks the alias "Nabal".He explains it means "fool" (נבל) in Hebrew. As he goes upstairs, Rome Preston calls out "good night" to Portia from the street. (Curtain)

Act II (Perkins Print Shop and office of the Clarion. Friday morning, three weeks later.) Barrett Sheridan and his troupe have returned. He has hired a brass band to parade down Main Street. They can be seen through the windows and open doors of the print shop, where Gene Merryfield and Lewellyn are working. Ivy flirts with Gene until Star shows up. Star and Ivy go out when Nabal enters. He irritates Gene by pointing out a misspelt word in his type. Barrett asks about his show's advertising fliers, but is delighted to see Nabal, whom he knew as "Evans" when both worked at a big city paper. Nabal says he has written a book for Barrett's father, a wealthy publisher. Portia asks Lewellyn to fetch a buggy from the livery stable, so she can take Jenny Miller's affidavit at the factory. She spies Lucille and Barrett talking in front of the shop, oblivious to all. She sends Lucille away then argues with Barrett about his suitability for her daughter, not wanting Lucille to make the same mistake she did. At this, Nabal excuses himself. Preston tries to dissuade Portia from printing the Miller story, fearful Skinner will retaliate against her. Preston and Linc are surprised when Miss Faxon pulls her ad from the Clarion; she advises them not to associate with it, because of Nabal. Gene, also afraid for Portia, leaves so Preston can sabotage the Miller story by disabling the big press. Preston attempts to patronize Nabal, is defeated by his erudition, but asks him to leave town for Portia's sake. Mary Jane accepts a note from Sheridan at the shop front. She comes in and watches Nabal resetting the type for the Miller story. She admires how he learned so many things, and says how much she likes him. When Lucille returns she receives Barrett's note from Mary Jane. Portia returns; Lucille and her spar over the Skinner fight, and Barrett. Lucille and Mary Jane leave. Portia then begs help from Hiram to get the paper ready. They recondition a smaller press since Preston removed a piece from the larger one. Skinner and Whipple come in to bribe or browbeat Portia, but get the worst of it. Hiram prints the Clarion for the nominating convention that afternoon. (Curtain)

Act III (Perkins yard, with side and back porches. Evening of the next day.) Mary Jane and Portia are in the yard, when Ivy comes to borrow spoons and napkins for a party to which none of the Perkins are invited. Ivy explains she wanted to, but other folks said they wouldn't come otherwise. Nabal consoles Mary Jane by showing her a cake he baked. He also hands her an envelope with money he received from Barrett's father for completing his book. Lucille returns from school carrying her textbooks. She tells Portia she isn't going back because of the gossip, but doesn't mention her planned elopement. But Star has found the note from Barrett she dropped, and threatens to expose her as being like her mother. Lucille gives him a roundhouse slap that staggers him. He teeters into Ivy's house, mumbling threats. Rome accepts Portia's congratulations on winning the nomination, and confesses to sabotaging the big printer. Nabal stops Lucille from eloping; he insists Barrett take her for a walk then come back. Gene and Lewellyn run over to Portia: a mob led by Skinner and Miss Faxon are wrecking the print shop. Linc hurries over to warn the mob is headed this way. Skinner and Miss Faxon incite the mob to tar and feather Nabal. Rome, Linc, and the printers stand by Portia, who in turn protects Nabal. She shouts that Nabal is her husband of 17 years, Hiram Perkins. The crowd is dumbfounded and starts melting away; Skinner insults Portia and Hiram decks him. Portia and Rome have a bittersweet parting. Hiram, planning to depart, is told by Portia to stay. Hiram in turn reconciles her to Barrett as a son-in-law, as Lucille and him stroll back into view. (Curtain)

Original production Background Edith Ellis began writing this play in 1905, finishing it a year later.Ellis, p.ix. She modelled the character of Mary Jane on her own daughter, and said Hiram Perkins was based on a relative, but not her own father. Rehearsals began in October 1908; after four weeks producer Henry W. Savage pronounced himself satisfied with the production, and went overseas. The play was staged for its tryouts by author Ellis and producing-manager Madison Corey.

Cast + Cast from the tryouts through the Broadway run. Role Actor Dates Notes and sourcesLucille PerkinsAnna WynnNov 16, 1908 - Nov 21, 1908 Marjorie WoodNov 23, 1908 - Nov 21, 1908 Portia PerkinsMarie NordstromNov 16, 1908 - Nov 21, 1908 Ann SutherlandNov 23, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Mary Jane PerkinsGretchen HartmanNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909Hartman, who drew much praise from critics, was the same age as her character.Hiram PerkinsHenry E. DixeyNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Ivy WilcoxMaud EarleNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Barrett SheridanMorgan ComanNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Joel SkinnerHardee KirklandNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Rome PrestonEmmett KingNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Eugene MerryfieldFrank BixbyNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Star SkinnerJohn JuniorNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Claud WhitcombHorace NewmanNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Miss FaxonAlice GilmoreNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Linc WatkinsEdward ChapmanNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 Lewellyn GreenAugustin Daly WilkesNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909 John WhippleTBDNov 16, 1908 - Feb 27, 1909This role was not mentioned in contemporaneous newspaper cast lists but is in the published play.

Tryouts

The play's first tryout occurred at the Harmanus Bleecker Hall in Albany, New York on November 16, 1908. The production then played two nights at the Wieting Opera House in Syracuse, New York. The local reviewer complimented Henry E. Dixey, and Marie Nordstrom as Portia, thought the redemption of the shiftless husband was done "in admirable style and with clever skill and tact", and that the play would improve as it was "pulled together". The production was expected to open at the Garden Theatre on Monday, November 23, 1908, but when Henry W. Savage returned from overseas and caught a tryout performance at Schenectady, New York on Friday, November 20, 1908 he delayed the Broadway premiere until December.

Savage replaced Marie Nordstrom with Annie Sutherland as Portia, and Anna Wynn with Marjorie Wood as Lucille. Two male roles were also recast before the next tryout at the New Plainfield Theatre in Plainfield, New Jersey on December 1, 1908. The final tryout occurred at the Opera House in Paterson, New Jersey on December 2, 1908.

Broadway premiere and reception