Plays About Obsession

In these plays, a character is obsessed with a particular person, situation or outcome.

Dark Road by Ian Rankin and Mark Thomson

It’s Isobel’s thirtieth anniversary on the force, making her eligible for retirement. Her daughter, Alexandra, is in her last year of university and still lives at home. Isobel has risen to Chief Superintendent. There’s a little gathering at the office with Detective Superintendent Frank and retired Chief Constable Fergus. Isobel says she’s thinking of writing a book about Chalmers, a killer she put away twenty-five years ago. She’s uncomfortable with the conviction due to notable missing evidence. Her colleagues urge her to stay away from Chalmers and leave the case alone.

The first two scenes of this play can be read in the preview of Dark Road. (20% in)

Tartuffe by Moliere (3 Acts)

Orgon is a wealthy Parisian who lives with his family and various other guests. He invites Tartuffe into his home, offering everything he has to the man. He is impressed by Tartuffe’s piety, and wants his daughter to marry him. Other people view Tartuffe as a hypocrite, and his daughter is intent on marrying someone else.

The Advertisement by Natalia Ginzburg (3 Acts)

Teresa, who is separated from her husband, rents out a spare room to Elena, a college student. Teresa tells Elena her story, focusing on her childhood and tumultuous relationship with her husband, Lorenzo, including the incident that finally ended things.

Andromache by Jean Racine

Orestes goes to the court of Pyrrhus in Greece on an official assignment from King Menalaus of Sparta to demand that Pyrrhus turn over Astyanax, the Trojan prince. He was saved from death during the war by his mother, Andromache, who is now a slave of Pyrrhus. Although engaged to Hermione, the daughter of Menalaus, Pyrrhus loves Andromache and tries to coerce her into marrying him. Meanwhile, Orestes is in love with Hermione and is considering drastic action to steal her from Pyrrhus.