Maryann Plunkett

Last updated
Maryann Plunkett
OccupationActress
Years active1982–present
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1991)​
Children1

Maryann Plunkett is an American actress and singer.

Contents

Plunkett made her Broadway debut playing Sister Agnes in Agnes of God . In 1987, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sally Smith in Me and My Girl . [1] In 2024, she received her second Tony Award nomination for her leading role in the musical adaptation of The Notebook . [2] In addition, she has made appearances in various films and series such as Little Women , Manifest , A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood , and Dr. Death .

Career

Plunkett graduated from the University of New Hampshire, and was a founding member of Portland Stage repertory company in Maine. [3] She appeared on Broadway as Bernadette Peters's replacement in the role of Dot in Sunday in the Park with George in 1985. [4] In 1987, she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Sally Smith in Me and My Girl . [1]

She appeared in the 1991 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible , in which she played Elizabeth Proctor opposite Martin Sheen as John Proctor, in an all-star cast including Michael York and Fritz Weaver. [5] She was part of the Tony Randall's National Actors Theatre company, and performed in their production of Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw in 1993 on Broadway. [6] She performed in the National Actors Theatre productions of A Little Hotel on the Side by Georges Feydeau and Maurice Desvallières on Broadway in 1992, [7] and in The Seagull by Anton Chekov in 1992. [8]

Plunkett appeared in the television movies The Littlest Victims and Breaking the Silence, and in feature films including Claire Dolan and The Company Men . She guest-starred on episodes of Matlock , L.A. Law , Murder She Wrote , Miami Vice , Star Trek: The Next Generation , and Law & Order .

She and her husband, actor Jay O. Sanders, appeared together in all four of Richard Nelson's The Apple Family Plays: That Hopey Changey Thing, Sweet and Sad, Sorry, and Regular Singing. They premiered at the Off-Broadway The Public Theater in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 respectively. [9] [10]

Plunkett was nominated for the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Barbara Apple in Sorry. [11] Sweet and Sad won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance and the 2012 Obie Award for Ensemble Performance. [12] The Apple Family Plays played in repertory at The Public Theater from October 22, 2013, to December 15, 2013. [13]

Plunkett and Sanders appeared in all three productions of Richard Nelson's second play cycle, The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family, which premiered at The Public Theater. Plunkett portrayed Mary Gabriel and Sanders portrayed George Gabriel, her brother-in-law. [14] The first play, Hungry, premiered in March 2016. [15] [16] [17] The second play, What Did You Expect?, ran from September 10, 2016, to October 9, 2016. [18] [19] The third and final play, Women of a Certain Age, opened on election night, November 8, 2016, and ran through December 4, 2016. [20]

In 2024, she won an Obie Award for her performance as Ella in the Off-Broadway play Deep Blue Sound by Abe Koogler. [21]

Personal life

She and Jay O. Sanders were married in 1991. [3] They met while acting on the television series A Man Called Hawk . They have a son, Jamie. [22]

Work

Stage productions

YearProductionRoleNotes
1982 Agnes of God Sister AgnesBroadway replacement & US national tour
1985 Sunday in the Park with George Dot & MarieBroadway replacement
1986 Me and My Girl Sally SmithBroadway, Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1991 The Crucible Elizabeth Proctor Broadway revival
1992A Little Hotel on the SideMarcelle PaillardinBroadway revival
1992 The Master Builder Kaja FosliBroadway revival
1992 The Seagull MashaBroadway revival
1993 Saint Joan Joan Broadway revival
2008 A Man for All Seasons Alice More Broadway revival
2010That Hopey Changey ThingBarbara AppleAs part of The Apple Family Plays, world premiere, The Public Theater
2011Sweet and SadBarbara AppleAs part of The Apple Family Plays, world premiere, The Public Theater
2012SorryBarbara AppleAs part of The Apple Family Plays, world premiere, The Public Theater, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
2013Regular SingingBarbara AppleAs part of The Apple Family Plays, world premiere, The Public Theater
2016The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One FamilyMary GabrielWorld premiere, The Public Theater
2019 Juno and the Paycock Juno BoyleAs part of The O'Casey Cycle, Irish Repertory Theatre
2019 The Plough and the Stars Bessie BurgessAs part of The O'Casey Cycle, Irish Repertory Theatre
2022 The Notebook Older Allison "Allie" Calhoun (née Hamilton)World premiere, Chicago Shakespeare Theater [23]
2023 Deep Blue Sound EllaWorld premiere, Clubbed Thumb, Obie Award for Performance
2024 The Notebook Older Allison "Allie" Calhoun (née Hamilton)Broadway, Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical nomination

Filmography

YearProductionRoleNotes
1989 The Littlest Victims BarbaraTV Movie [24]
1990 Star Trek: The Next Generation Lt. Cmdr. Susanna LeijteEpisode: Identity Crisis
1991Deceptions: A Mother's SecretDonna McKenzie
1992Deceptions: A Mother's SecretEliza BeckerTV Movie [25]
1997 Fools Rush In Heliport Mother
1998 Claire Dolan Mary Egan [26]
2000 Center Stage Mrs. Sawyer
2005 The Squid and the Whale Ms. Lemon
2005 Brooklyn Lobster Kathy Mulcahey (uncredited)
2006 The Night Listener Alice - Female Realtor
2009 Peter and Vandy Mom
2010 The Company Men Lorna
2010 Blue Valentine Glenda
2012 Fairhaven Maddy
2013 House of Cards Evelyn BaxterSeason 1 only
2015 True Story Maureen Duffy
2015 The Family Fang Camille Fang [27]
2016 Youth in Oregon Maryann
2019 A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Joanne Rogers [28]
2019 Little Women Mrs. Kirke
2019 Manifest Priscilla Landon
2021 Dr. Death Madeline Beyer
2022 Showing Up Jean

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References

  1. 1 2 "'Me and My Girl' Broadway" Playbill, accessed February 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Tony Nominations" Variety, accessed April 29, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Kilian, Michael. "Stage-struck", Chicago Tribune, March 21, 1993.
  4. ↑ "'Sunday in the Park with George' Replacement Cast", Playbill.com, accessed February 27, 2016.
  5. ↑ "'The Crucible' Broadway", Playbill.com; accessed February 27, 2016.
  6. ↑ Gussow, Mel. "Review/Theater; Getting to Know a Joan Who Is Saintly, Shavian And Just a Bit Unlikable", New York Times, February 1, 1993.
  7. ↑ A Little Hotel on the Side, ibdb.com; accessed February 27, 2016.
  8. ↑ The Seagull, ibdb.com; accessed February 27, 2016.
  9. ↑ Miller, J. Michael. "Interview" theactorscenter.org, January 22, 2013
  10. ↑ Sorry lortel.org, accessed February 27, 2016
  11. ↑ "2013 Drama Desk Award Winners". New York Theatre Guide. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  12. ↑ Sweet and Sad lortel.org, accessed February 27, 2016
  13. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Richard Nelson's Four-Play Series, 'The Apple Family Plays', Begins in Repertory at the Public Oct. 22", Playbill, October 22, 2013.
  14. ↑ "How Jay O. Sanders and Maryann Plunkett Became Co-Stars In Life and Onstage". Playbill. February 27, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "The Public Announces Complete Casting For Richard Nelson Election Trilogy" Playbill, December 16, 2015
  16. ↑ "Election Year in the Life of One Family, Play One: Hungry" lortel.org, accessed February 27, 2016
  17. ↑ Rickwald, Bethany. "In Rehearsal for Richard Nelson's 'Hungry' at the Public" theatermania.com, February 18, 2016
  18. ↑ Clement, Olivia. Richard Nelson Returns to The Public Tonight With Part Two of His Election Trilogy" Playbill, September 10, 2016
  19. ↑ Gordon, David. "Review. 'What Did You Expect?'" TheaterMania.com, September 19, 2016
  20. ↑ Clement, Olivia. "Public Theater Opens Third and Final Play of 'The Gabriels' Tonight" Playbill, November 8, 2016
  21. ↑ "Productions | clubbed thumb". www.clubbedthumb.org. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  22. ↑ Spaner, Whitney. "How Jay O. Sanders and Maryann Plunkett Became Co-Stars In Life and Onstage" Playbill, February 27, 2016
  23. ↑ "Chicago Shakespeare Theater: The Notebook". www.chicagoshakes.com. Retrieved 2023-06-30.
  24. ↑ The Littlest Victims hollywood.com, accessed February 27, 2016
  25. ↑ Breaking the Silence tcm.com, accessed February 27, 2016
  26. ↑ Claire Dolan tcm.com, accessed February 27, 2016
  27. ↑ Gettell, Oliver (2016-04-08). "Dysfunction raised to an art form in Jason Bateman's Family Fang trailer — exclusive". Entertainment Weekly .
  28. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (October 25, 2018). "Tom Hanks' Mister Rogers Film Rounds Out Cast". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved October 25, 2018.
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