Child's Play

Child's Play is a stage play written by Robert Marasco. The play centres on the rivalry between two faculty members at St. Charles, an exclusive Roman Catholic boarding school for boys. Marasco's only play, he initially wrote the script in 1966, under the title The Dark. The atmosphere of the play, although not the plot, was derived from Marasco's experiences as a teacher of Latin and Greek at Regis High School, a highly regarded Jesuit school in Manhattan.

The original text
It opened on Broadway on February 12, 1970 at the Royale Theatre, and ran for 342 performances, closing on December 12, 1970. The production was produced by David Merrick and directed by Joseph Hardy.

Translations and adaptations
In 1972, Sidney Lumet directed a screen adaptation under the same title.

Performance history in South Africa
1971: Presented by PACT in association with Pieter Toerien, Basil Rubin and Shirley Firth, directed by John Hussey, starring Siegfried Mynhardt (Jerome Malley), John Hayter (Joseph Dobbs), Kenneth Baker (Father Griffin), John Hussey (Father Penny), James White (Paul Reese) and Norman Coombes (Father Mozian). After the production's run in Pretoria, it toured to East London, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Cape Town. Decor and lighting design by Jo Mielziner.

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