Mud

by María Irene Fornés

Hopeful, hard-working Mae lives in bleak rural poverty, but she is going to school, and plans to better her life through the refined magic of reading and arithmetic. Lloyd, who lives with Mae, spends his time caring a little too much for the farm animals; he scorns to learn from a book, and treats Mae with angry disrespect. When Lloyd becomes ill, Mae goes searching for a diagnosis, and brings their simple, yet eloquent, neighbor Henry home with her, in order to help her read the difficult medical language. The ensuing love / hate triangle that brews between the three creates a toxic environment, and Mae, whose love and respect for Henry turn to impatience and resentment after an accident renders him helpless, determines that to escape the ill-luck of her life, she must escape the men who depend upon her.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, School, Fiction, Drama, Read For School, American

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Aaron Piccirillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re a pig. You’ll did like a pig in the mud. You’ll rot there in the mud. No one will bury you. Your skin will bloat. In the mud.”

wow this was upsetting. i didn’t think it was going to be as dark and upsetting as it was but was still a good show that dealt with poverty and sexism. the men in this show are awful to mae and have no respect for her and it makes the ending so upsetting when she finally takes a stand for herself. there’s definitely a lot going on here and i liked the style that the show was written. would be really interesting to see a production of this show. overall, it was just a depressing, upsetting, and gloomy show.

[Pimper reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

the accuracy of it all just makes it so depressing

[Chantal Aurora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fuck this play I hated this. Mae is a slave to the men in her life and when she realizes this and leaves they kill her. FUCK THIS. I am so pissed.

Update
After hearing the lecture on this play from my theatre class I appreciate it a little better. Maria was a cuban immigrant with dyslexia her becoming a playwright and her plays still being performed today is amazing.

I still hate this play its clearly a commentary on abusive relationships Lloyd & Henry are using her sucking her dry like parasites. They steal her money, make her do household chores, her only solace is learning how to read. When she finally realizes she is being abused she leaves but shes not allowed to escape they kill her. They tell her they love her a common abusive technique abusers use to get them to stay.

Most murders happen after the person leaves the relationship, when the restraining order has been made this is usually the most dangerous part of an abusive relationship and not everyone gets out of this stage alive. This play made my blood boil reminding me of how many women (or other gender minorites) have been killed by their partners.

[Derek Neveu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I read this play after a former student mentioned her disconcertment in reading it in one of her classes at NYU. What I found is that while this play has a clear gender struggle, socioeconomic disparagement, a dysfunctional “family” dynamic, and a tragic ending, that doesn’t mean it’s good.

The dialogue (although real in the struggle presented) was hindered by an absurdity of subject matter and an unnecessary obsession over odd obscenity, while you felt for Mae’s predicament, you don’t came away overly liking any of the characters, and although I slightly appreciated the symbolism of things such as the star fish and the hermit crab, they were all too on the nose and lost the lustrous weight a good symbol should have.

A motif that the play seems to hinge upon is men are pigs, and thematically, if you lie with pigs you will inevitably drown in the mud. While I can see that, the only thing I feel is truly muddy about this play is people’s affinity with it. To each their own, but for me I think the likes of Chopin, Plath, Woolf, Walker, and Hurston convey elements of this concern in a much more compelling and transcendent way.

[Edie Hoesterey · Rating 5 out of 5]

First play read for school. OH MY GOD. Wayyyyyyy better than Fefu and Her Friends. The dynamics of one woman and 2 men are fascinating and honestly tragic. I think that plays with 3 characters create the most impactful theatre.

[Alexander Spanksly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this - this I loved.

[Kym Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erm

[Federica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Like the starfish, I live in the dark and my eyes see only a faint light. It is faint and yet it consumes me. I long for it. I thirst for it. I would die for it."

[Will Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!! Funny and wild and complex and worth every moment of the read! Extra fun to read aloud with friends!!

[Octavia]

Damn…..

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

r.i.p. mae you would have loved Last Words of a Shooting Star

[Neil · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm studying María Irene Fornés in a class, and am totally fascinated by the artist, especially as a teacher who inspired so many, but I have not yet found one single piece of her actual art that I like. So bizarre.

Every single reviewer (me included!) interprets this play as being metaphors for gender politics, yet at this point in this interview, she completely and honestly says that was NOT her intent at all!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puKUm...

Anyway, I think that plays about gender politics must to resist the urge to caricature its subjects, as that ultimately undermines the points they're trying to make by making it seem like an easily defendable "straw man". And this play definitely IS a bunch of caricatures, even for "squalor" conditions, so I could not believe it as plausible. I don't like Lars von Trier for this exact reason: I'm aware the artist is attempting to manipulate my emotions, and in this case, for unknown reasons if "Mud" actually isn't about gender politics! The most talented writers also manipulate our emotions, but they do so with finesse and convince us. Simply put: I was not convinced.

UPDATE: Fefu and Her Friends might have been the first "immersive" theater experience in 1977?

[alarmglock · Rating 4 out of 5]

lesbians view heteronormativity in a very different light

which like yeah duh

but when you remove heteronormativity from someone’s perspective. and the idea that man + wive = MUST HAPPEN. what are you left with?

that is mud

mud tackles our preconceived ideas of what a love triangle is, what heterosexual relationships look like, and how impossibly possible escaping is.

it’s the real possibility of this play that gets you. not the end’s shock factor, not the terribleness of the characters, not the set/set up (which is *chefs kiss*). but the fact that this is real and possible and not only could happen BUT IT DOES HAPPEN.

mud is muddy

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disturbing and visceral piece when I acted in it. I didn't get much from it, though, so it's not really what I look for in art.

[Kay Perkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

One instance of trauma porn after another with no sense of purpose.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

i kind of dont really know what to say (x2)

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The play consists of only three characters and a sparse set. I’m not sure of all of the symbolism, but there is a power play between man and woman.

I read this for a seminar I am taking this summer, so I look forward to deconstructing the characters and their actions.

[Leylamaría · Rating 3 out of 5]

MAE: I feel I am hollow. . . And offensive.
HENRY: Why is that?
MAE: I think most people are.

—

Interested in deconstructing this piece in class, I think I’ll probably get more out of it then. Big fan of Fornés’ style, I must say, and I enjoyed reading this!

[judy-b. judy-b. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting to read this, for a class, while also reading The Neapolitan Quartet. The inescapable emotional desolation of being trapped in poverty, sexism, and/or patriarchy in 28 pages as opposed to 1,600.

[Mona Kamel · Rating 5 out of 5]

In few pages, Maria Fornes with a strong expressive - yet simple - language, and good portrayed characters, succeeds to create a fantastic play with a great idea. Fornes writes short scenes that have intensive emotions and thoughts as well.

[Mikey Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the play so much, I truly never expected what was going to happen next. The finale was truly jaw dropping.

[Keri Murcray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark and sad, but interesting.

[Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy cannoli. I had a feeling someone was going to die in the end but the story kept shifting and my guess kept changing.

Really engaging read with a lot of twists.

[Zachary Pareizs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant theatre. Electric, raw, and bizarre.

[r3dbird · Rating 3 out of 5]

feelsbadman

[jo]

oh?

[Kays · Rating 2 out of 5]

i moved it to a two after i talked to people about it

[Priya Ele]

mud mud mud

[whit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal read- I’d definitely recommend reading this with a few friends to fully experience the piece.
Loved it.

[Jackie Bramhall-Heck]

I love Maria!!!!