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Machinal is a 1928 play by American playwright and journalist Sophie Treadwell, inspired by the real-life case of convicted and executed murderer Ruth Snyder. Its Broadway premiere, directed by Arthur Hopkins, is considered one of the highpoints of Expressionist theatre in history of the American stage.
Machinal has appeared on a variety of lists of the greatest plays.
In Britain, the play was first performed under the title The Life Machine in 1931.
"From the sordid mess of a brutal murder the author, actors and producer of Machinal … have with great skill managed to retrieve a frail and sombre beauty of character," wrote theatre critic Brooks Atkinson of The New York Times. "Subdued, monotonous, episodic, occasionally eccentric in its style, Machinal is fraught with a beauty unfamiliar to the stage." Atkinson describes the play as "the tragedy of one who lacks strength; she is not adaptable; she submits...Being the exposition of a character, stark and austere in style, Machinal makes no excuses for the tragedy it unfolds."
Adapted for television by Irving Gaynor Neiman, Machinal was presented January 18, 1954, on NBC-TV's Robert Montgomery Presents. Reviewing the starring performance of Joan Lorring, Jack Gould of The New York Times wrote that "her interpretation of the mentally tortured young woman in Machinal, Sophie Treadwell's expressionistic and bitter poem for the theatre, must rank among the video season's finest accomplishments." The cast also included Malcolm Lee Beggs as the husband.
An adaptation of Machinal aired August 14, 1960, on ITV the United Kingdom in the Armchair Theatre series. Joanna Dunham starred, with Donald Pleasence portraying the husband.
Machinal was produced Off-Broadway at the Gate Theatre, opening in April 1960, with direction by Gene Frankel, and featuring Delores Sutton, Vincent Gardenia, and Gerald O'Loughlin.Kabatchnik, Amnon. "Machinal" Blood on the Stage, 1925-1950: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection, Scarecrow Press, 2010, , p. 217 In his review in The New York Times, Brooks Atkinson wrote "Gene Frankel has added modernistic details that visualize the inhumanity of the background... Ballou's cold settings, Lee Watson's macabre lighting complete the design of one of Off-Broadway's most vibrant performances."Atkinson, Brooks. "Theatre. 'Machinal' Revived at Gate", The New York Times, p. 27, April 8, 1960
The play was produced Off-Broadway by the New York Shakespeare Festival at the Public Theatre, running from September 25, 1990 to November 25, 1990. Directed by Michael Greif, the cast featured Jodie Markell (Young Woman), John Seitz (Husband), and Marge Redmond (Mother). The production won three : for Performance (Jodie Markell), Direction, and Design (John Gromada). " 'Machinal' Listing" lortel.org, accessed December 23, 2013
Machinal was revived by the Royal National Theatre in London in a production directed by Stephen Daldry.From the programme to the production. It opened on 15 October 1993 with Fiona Shaw as the Young Woman, Ciarán Hinds as the Man, and John Woodvine as the Husband. " 'Machinal' Listing and Script, Royal National Theatre" ciaranhinds.eu (pdf), accessed December 23, 2013 The scenic design, which included a large metal grid that moved into different positions for the play's different scenes, was by Ian MacNeil, costumes were by Clare Mitchell, lighting design was by Rick Fisher, with music by Stephen Warbeck.
A revival opened on Broadway in a Roundabout Theatre production at the American Airlines Theatre on January 16, 2014, directed by Lyndsey Turner, featuring Rebecca Hall, Michael Cumpsty, Suzanne Bertish and Morgan Spector.Gioia, Michael. "Suzanne Bertish, Michael Cumpsty, Morgan Spector Will Join Rebecca Hall in 'Machinal'; Complete Broadway Cast Announced" playbill.com, October 22, 2013
A new production opened at the Almeida Theatre in London on June 4, 2018, directed by Natalie Abrahami.
The play has had college and university productions as well, most recently a February 2025 production at Rutgers University-Camden and Johnson County Community College, and a 2019 production at Cape Breton University.
In 2013, Machinal was included on Entertainment Weekly's list of the "50 Greatest Plays of the Past 100 Years".
In 2015, theatre critic Michael Billington included the play in his list of the "101 greatest plays" ever written in any western language.
In 2019, Machinal was named as one of the "40 best plays of all time" by The Independent.
In 2020, Machinal was included on BroadwayWorld's list of the "101 GREATEST PLAYS of the Past 100 Years".
Accolades
The Royal National Theatre production won three 1994 Laurence Olivier Awards, for Best Revival of a Play or Comedy, for Fiona Shaw as Best Actress and Stephen Daldry as Best Director of a Play. Ian MacNeil was nominated as Best Set Designer. "Olivier Winners, 1994" olivierawards.com, accessed December 23, 2013
The 2014 Broadway production received four 2014 Tony Award nominations: Best Scenic Design of a Play (Es Devlin), Best Costume Design of a Play (Michael Krass), Best in Lighting Design of a Play (Jane Cox) and Best Sound Design of a Play (Matt Tierney).Gans, Andrew. "68th Annual Tony Awards Nominations Announced; 'Gentleman's Guide' Leads the Pack" playbill.com, April 29, 2014
The 2025 Off-Broadway Revival received 11 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Nominations: Best Production of a Play, Best Performance In A Play (Katherine Winter, Temidayo Amay, Sam Im & Alice Reys), Best Scenic Design (Rochele Mac), Best Sound Design (Brittany Harris), Best Costume Design (Hahnji Jang), Best Lighting Design (Colleen Doherty), Best Original Choreography (Madison Hilligoss) and Best Direction of a Play (Amy Marie Seidel).2025 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards [7]
2024 Theatre Royal Bath Revival
In 2024, Machinal underwent a revival by the Ustinov Studio of the Theatre Royal Bath. It ran periodically throughout the year in both London and Bath, its most prestigious venue at the 1,000 seat Old Vic Theatre in London, from 11 April-1 June 2024. The production garnered widespread praise, and was considered by some to be one of the best shows of the past several years. Critics called the main performance by actress Rosie Sheehy as Young Woman a highlight of the show and she was nominated for 2025's Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress. The Theatre director by Richard Jones, CBE, also attracted much admiration. The set by Hyemi Shin included harsh yellow backgrounds, and a large speaker which sat suspended above the stage. The episode Intimate was well-liked for its beginning in darkness, then a Diegetic sound light growing slowly. Costume designs were by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting by Adam Silverman, sound by Benjamin Grant and casting by Ginny Schiller. The show was created in partnership with the Royal Bank of Canada, with support from the Arts Council England.
2025 New York Theater Company Engagement
In June 2025, Machinal
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Legacy
Machinal was included in Burns Mantle's The Best Plays of 1928–29.
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