A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

A Piece of My Heart

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  6w, 1m

This is a powerful, true drama of six women who went to Vietnam: five nurses and a country western singer booked by an unscrupulous agent to entertain the troops.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    6w, 1m
  • Duration
    Duration
    120 minutes (2 hours)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period, Docudrama/History
  • Suggested Use
    • UIL Approved
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult
Accolades
Accolades
  • Winner! The Barbara Deming Prize for Women Playwrights
    Winner! The Kittredge Foundation Award
    Finalist! The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize

Details

Summary
This is a powerful, true drama of six women who went to Vietnam: five nurses and a country western singer booked by an unscrupulous agent to entertain the troops. The play portrays each young woman before, during, and after her tour in the war-torn nation and ends as each leaves a personal token at the memorial wall in Washington. A Piece of My Heart premiered in New York at Manhattan Theatre Club.

History
A Piece of My Heart premiered off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club on November 3, 1991.
Cast Attributes
Performing Groups

MARTHA
MARYJO
SISSY
WHITNEY
LEEAN
STEELE
THE AMERICAN MEN

The male actor plays all the male roles in the play.

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Additional Features Play with Music
  • Duration 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Cautions
    • Alcohol

Media

“There have been a number of plays dealing with Vietnam, but none with the direct, emotional impact of Ms. Lauro's work.” – The New York Times

“Brought [the audience] to tears... and a standing ovation.” – Variety

"One of the most compelling and valuable [plays] yet written on a subject... rarely treated with such straight-forward authenticity... needs to be seen now." – The Detroit News

“A riveting, rending dramatic experience.” – The Courier-Journal

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Shirley Lauro

Guggenheim Fellow Shirley Lauro's best-known work is A Piece of my Heart. With over 2,000 productions, it was named "among our top-produced plays worldwide" for the second consecutive year, including dramas and musicals (Nate Collins, President, Samuel French Play Publishers, ...

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