Plays About Revenge

The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie

Mollie and Giles run a guesthouse, Monksville Manor. Among their guests are a talkative young man, a complaining older woman, a retired Major, an aloof woman and a foreign man. There’s a news report of a woman who was murdered nearby. Mollie gets a call from the police, saying that a Sergeant is being dispatched to the guesthouse.

Trifles by Susan Glaspell (1 Act)

A small group has gathered at the Wright farm. John Wright was found murdered in his bed. The county attorney, Henderson, has been called to investigate and get the story. Also present is Henry Peters, the sheriff and Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale. The neighbor who found the body, Lewis Hale, explains what happened. The men take the lead in the investigation. The women look over the kitchen and gather a few things to take to Mrs. Wright, who’s being held on suspicion of the murder.

This play can be read in the preview of Plays by Susan Glaspell. (Go into “Paperback” preview first, then select “Kindle”, 5% in)

Mourning Becomes Electra by Eugene O’Neill

This play is an adaptation of the Greek myth Oresteia. Ezra Mannon, the family patriarch, is expected home soon from the Civil War. His daughter, Lavinia, refuses a marriage proposal and has found out that her mother, Christine, has been having an affair. Her mother’s paramour, Adam, a man with a connection to the family, arrives with revenge on his mind.

The Kentucky Cycle by Robert Schenkkan (9 Plays of 1 Act Each)

This family epic spans two hundred years. It begins with Michael Rowen, an Irish immigrant who lost his family in a Cherokee attack. He plots to gain land and another family. The story continues with Rowen’s son Patrick, his grandson Jed, a long-term rivalry with the Talberts and more.

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.

Death and the Maiden by Ariel Dorfman (3 Acts)

The dictatorship has ended and a democratic government now rules. A married couple, Paulina and Gerardo, are living at their beach house. Late one night, Gerardo’s car gets a flat and he gets a ride home from a passing motorist, Miranda. He returns later to talk. Paulina thinks she recognizes Miranda from the old regime.

Electra by Sophocles

Orestes has returned to seek revenge over the murder of his father, the former King Agamemnon. He comes up with a plan. His sister, Electra, also has revenge on her mind.

The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman (3 Acts)

In a small town in the Deep South, there’s a gathering at the Giddens house. The family has just made a deal with Mr. Marshall, a Chicago businessman, to build and run a cotton mill. The arrangement will make them all wealthy. The Giddens siblings—Regina, Oscar and Ben—are present, along with other family. Regina’s husband, Horace, is in Baltimore due to a heart condition. The siblings have big plans for the money and want as large a share as possible.