Production History

Brief History

Machinal premièred on Broadway, directed by Arthur Hopkins, on September 7, 1928. It ran for only 91 performances before shutting down. It was next produced in London’s West End under the name The Life Machine. In 1933, Sophie Treadwell traveled to Moscow to see Alexander Tairov’s production of Machinal (one of two productions of the show in Moscow that year). She received royalties for both Moscow productions, becoming “the first American dramatist to receive production royalties from the Soviet Union.”
Recent years have seen an upswing in academic stagings with productions in theatres such as: Rutgers; Austin College; and the University of Maryland’s School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies’ presentation.

 

Premiere On Broadway

Plymouth Theatre

• Opening Date: September 7, 1928
• Closing Date: November 24, 1928
• Previews: 0
• Performances: 91

Playwright: Sophie Treadwell

Opening Night Cast

	Jean Adair	A Mother
	Nancy Allen	A Nurse
	Grace Atwell	A Stenographer
	Leopold Badia	A Filing Clerk
	Monroe Childs	A Doctor
	John Connery	A Lawyer for Defense
	Hal K. Dawson	Third Reporter A Young Man

Opening Night Production Credits

	Sophie Treadwell	Writer
	Arthur Hopkins	Director
	Arthur Hopkins	Producer