First Published: Plays, (New York: PAJ Publications, 1986).
CLICK HERE to read an Interview with Tiffany Watt-Smith is curating an experimental festival of director's shorts at the Young Vic Theatre, London CLICK HERE to read a Review of Mud, Arcola Theatre, 10 -27 September 2003
Synopsis (Click on Photographs to enlarge) Mae lives with Lloyd whom her father brought home as an abandoned child and raised with Mae. Mae and Lloyd live in considerable rural poverty but Mae attends literacy classes and is committed to learning to read, and to becoming numerate. Whilst Lloyd takes care of their pig, Betsy, Mae works hard cleaning, cooking, and ironing. She attempts to deal with Lloyd's ill health and invites an older man, Henry, to read to them a health pamphlet. She then invites him to join them for a modest meal and when Henry recites grace Mae is deeply affected. Her mind's hunger for knowledge and self-improvement accelerates. Henry moves in to complete the trio, replacing Lloyd in Mae's bed, but when an accident disables Henry, Mae feels that both men are holding her back. She leaves them, but is pursued by a desperate Lloyd who shoots her and carries her back on stage. A dying Mae speaks of the light she has died to pursue.
Fornes has directed this play four times. First, in July 1983 at the 6th Padua Hills Festival, Claremont, California. Cast: Lloyd - Gregory Pace, Mae - Mary Jo Pearson, Henry - John O'Keefe. Fornes directed it again in 1983 at the Theatre for the New City, 162 Second Avenue, NYC. Cast: Lloyd - Michael Sollenberger, Mae - The Set Design was by Diann E. Duthrie and Lighting Design was by Anne E. Miletello. Cast: Mae - Patricia Mattick, plus Michael Sollenberger but I have not found a record of his role or any information about the third member of the cast.
Fornes directed Mud at the Omaha Magic Theatre, Farnam Street, (the second of the three spaces the OMT occupied), Omaha, Nebraska in the spring and summer of 1985. Cast: Lloyd - James Thorn, Mae - JoAnn Schmidman, and Don Fiedler - Henry. The production was revived in the winter and spring of 1986 for touring performances around Nebraska and Iowa. It also was staged at the 1986 Women in Theatre Festival, Boston when Maria Irene Fornes, JoAnn Schmidman and Megan Terry took part in panel discussions. A 75 minute video of this production can be seen at the Billy Rose Theatre Collection, New York Public Library. See Billy Rose Theatre Collection.
Both images: Rose Pickering (Mae) and James Pickering (Lloyd). click to enlarge
Fornes also directed it again in 1991 at the New City Theatre, Seattle, Washington.
Fornes was awarded an Obie for Direction and Playwriting of The Danube, Sarita and Mud.
LONDON Mud was staged 11th October - 5th November 1988 at the Gate Theatre, London, England by Filthy Lucre Productions. Directed by Catherine Arakalian, the Set Design was by James Wadeson. Cast: Lloyd - Andrew Lucre, Mae - Sue Maund, Henry - James Ramsey.
Mae lives with Lloyd whom her father brought home as an abandoned child and raised with Mae. Mae and Lloyd live in considerable rural poverty but Mae attends literacy classes and is committed to learning to read, and to becoming numerate. Whilst Lloyd takes care of their pig, Betsy, Mae works hard cleaning, cooking, and ironing. She attempts to deal with Lloyd's ill health and invites an older man, Henry, to read to them a health pamphlet. She then invites him to join them for a modest meal and when Henry recites grace Mae is deeply affected. Her mind's hunger for knowledge and self-improvement accelerates. Henry moves in to complete the trio, replacing Lloyd in Mae's bed, but when an accident disables Henry, Mae feels that both men are holding her back. She leaves them, but is pursued by a desperate Lloyd who shoots her and carries her back on stage. A dying Mae speaks of the light she has died to pursue. 
Fornes has directed this play four times. First, in July 1983 at the 6th Padua Hills Festival, Claremont, California. Cast: Lloyd - Gregory Pace, Mae - Mary Jo Pearson, Henry - John O'Keefe. Fornes directed it again in 1983 at the Theatre for the New City, 162 Second Avenue, NYC. Cast: Lloyd - Michael Sollenberger, Mae - The Set Design was by Diann E. Duthrie and Lighting Design was by Anne E. Miletello. Cast: Mae - Patricia Mattick, plus Michael Sollenberger but I have not found a record of his role or any information about the third member of the cast. 
Mud was staged 10 - 27 September 2003 at the Arcola Theatre, London. Photgraphs of the set are with this text. Photograph (right) ©2003 Marieke Sander.