Night, Mother

The play addresses the issues of mental illness and suicide, and although it was written in the early 1980s, it’s meant to always be performed in the present day. Do you think that the play has aged well for a contemporary production? What makes it relevant? What do you think might need to be adjusted or changed?

The play takes place in real time, which the use of clocks on the set emphasizes. What effect do you think this has on the way the play would function in performance? What does time mean in the play?

Much of the play involves Thelma and Jessie rehashing moments from their lives. Do you think the two women are reliable narrators? Why or why not? Use examples from the text.

What commentary do you think the play makes about suicide? Do you think it makes a philosophical argument? Do you agree? Why or why not?

The play has only two characters, and both are women. Their conflict is mainly about their relationship, and yet most of the offstage characters on the periphery of their conflict are men. What does this play say about women and their relationships? Is it a feminist play?

Why do you think Thelma chooses to hide Jessie’s and her father’s suspected seizures from them? Do you think she has justifiable reasons? Why or why not?

What significance does food hold in the play? Where does it appear either literally or in the dialogue? Why do you think it has so many references to food?

Explain the symbolism of the attic in ’Night, Mother. What does it contain? How do the characters describe it? How does it relate to the play’s themes?