Popularizing the Obscure: Audience Reception of Maxwell Anderson’s Mary of Scotland

Maxwell Anderson wrote commercially viable plays that were extremely popular in the mainstream repertoire. The social discourses in Anderson’s plays struck a chord with American audiences of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Anderson’s plays have, however, dropped into obscurity. This article considers the Progressive social commentary in one of his longest running plays: Mary of Scotland. Anderson’s exploration of the competitive relationship between Mary, Queen of Scotland, and Elizabeth I reflected a central issue in women’s movements of the period: the generational feminist debate. Anderson’s plays were a “hieroglyph” for society. It is from the perspective of audience popularity that this article argues for the significance of the commercially successful theater of Maxwell Anderson.