American Devotion takes audiences back to 1957 to the Connecticut farmhouse shared by Marilyn Monroe and her celebrated playwright husband, Arthur Miller. In this fictional version of events, novelist Norman Mailer has successfully wangled a coveted invitation for cocktails with the reclusive couple shortly after Miller has been called to testify before McCarthy's House of Un-American Activities Committee. Adding further strain to an already besieged marriage, Mailer storms into this delicate situation ready to do battle and claim his prize at any cost, but Monroe, who is both stronger and more fragile than imaginable, has plans of her own for the evening's festivities.
Keywords: political, McCarthyism, Marilyn Monroe, Arthur Miller, Norman Mailer
World Premiere, By the Word Productions, Toronto ON, June 2026 at The Studio, Crow's Theatre
Genre: Drama, Historical
Acts: 1
Run time: 95 minutes
Content notes: Scenes include depiction of smoking, addictive and self-harming behaviour. American Devotion is a work of pure fiction. While it aims to reflect a realistic context of time and place, the characters and events depicted are the product of the playwright's imagination or are used fictitiously. There is no attempt at a strict adherence to historical accuracy. Instead, the dramatic structure of the play dictates condensing time frames, altering the order of real events and inventing characters and details over the course of a fictional evening.
Cast size: 3 actors
Male roles: 2
Female roles: 1
List of Characters:
Arthur MILLER, The playwright at 41
Marilyn MONROE, The actress at 31
Norman MAILER, The writer at 40
"American Devotion delves into the ravages of celebrity culture that’s reliant on fickle fans, the expectations placed on art while exploring political paranoia and the personal cost of public loyalty."
-- Doreen Nicoll
