A CONCORD THEATRICALS TITLE

The Biograph Girl

Full-Length Musical, Drama  /  5w, 4m

Book by Warner Brown
Lyrics by Warner Brown and David Heneker
Music by David Heneker

This British salute to Hollywood’s glorious era of silent pictures is ideal for stock and community theatres. Characters include D.W. Griffith, Mack Sennett, Mary Pickford and Lillian Gish.

The Biograph Girl

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    5w, 4m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Biography, Period, Docudrama/History
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

In the early 20th century, when silent film was still a new form of media, Dorothy and Lillian Gish follow their family friend, the newly dubbed Mary Pickford, to New York City to become actresses in moving pictures. They meet D.W. Griffith, who casts Lillian in his film The Birth of a Nation. The movie’s lack of success forces D.W. to vow make an even bigger movie, while Lillian struggles with maintaining the image that audiences have attributed to her. When Intollerance is also a commercial flop, D.W. urges Lillian to take an offer from another studio so that she can earn a living wage. Soon after, the industry makes a huge shift with the introduction of sound in pictures, forcing every film industry member to assess their place in the business.

This British salute to Hollywood’s glorious era of silent pictures is ideal for stock and community theatres. 

History
The Biograph Girl premiered at the Gardner Centre Theatre, University of Sussex, on 21 October 1980. It was subsequently presented by Harold Fielding with the same cast at the Phoenix Theatre, London, on 19 November 1980. Directed by Victor Spinetti, the production featured Bruce Barry, Jane Hardy, Kate Revill, Guy Siner and Sheila White.
Keywords
Performing Groups
  • Time Period 1920s, 1910s/WWI
  • Setting Various locations in New York City and Hollywood. 1912-1927.
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Media

“A joyous celebration.” – International Herald Tribune

“This delightfully unassuming show contains the same naive charm as those early flicks.... [It's a] minor miracle.” – The Daily Mail

ON BREAKING CHARACTER

The Biograph Girl: Warner Brown on Bringing Hollywood to the Stage
September 10, 2019

8 Classic British Musicals to Perform
August 5, 2019

Music

Song Samples

The Moving Picture Show
Working in Flickers
That’s What I Get All Day
Diggin’ Gold Dust
Every Lady Needs a Master
I Just Wanted to Make Him Laugh
I Like to Be the Way I Am in My Own Front Parlour
Beyond Babel
A David Griffith Show
More Than a Man
The Industry
Gentle Fade
Nineteen-Twenty-Five
The Biograph Girl
One of the Pioneers
Put It in the Tissue Paper
  • Musical Style Classic Broadway
  • Vocal DemandsModerate
  • Orchestra Size Small/Combo

Licensing & Materials

  • Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

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Authors

Warner Brown

Warner Brown
Warner Brown is an internationally-renowned writer whose work encompasses everything from the traditional form to the radical avant garde. He has collaborated with the composers Angelo Badalamenti, Michael Feinstein, Jenny Giering, Tony Hatch, David Heneker, Gwyneth Herbert, ...
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Author

David Heneker

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