alphabetical author index

Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood: Teen Edition

  • Adam Szymkowicz
  • Full Length Play, Comedy, Medieval (6th-14th c.)
  • 4M, 4F, 6M or F
  • ISBN: 9780573709500

A gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale, adapted for performance by teen actors for family audiences.

  • Full Length Play
  • Comedy
  • 90 minutes

  • Time Period: Medieval (6th-14th c.)
  • Target Audience: Appropriate for all audiences
  • Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings

  • Performance Group:
  • High School/Secondary, College Theatre / Student, Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
A gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale, adapted for performance by teen actors for family audiences. 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. 

REVIEWS:

"A swashbuckling story of what it takes to make change."

 New York Theatre Review

"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 Theater Review

Premiere Production: Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood premiered in a production by the Flux Theatre Ensemble in New York City in April 2017 under the direction of Kelly O'Donnell.
  • Casting: 4M, 4F, 6M or F
  • Casting Attributes: Reduced casting (Doubling Possible), Ensemble cast, Non-Traditional casting, Cross-Gender Casting, Roles for Multicultural Casting, Expandable casting
  • Casting Notes: 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
    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.
  • Name Price
    Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood: Teen Edition Script This is optional. Order Now

    A gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale, adapted for performance by teen actors for family audiences. 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. 

    $24.95