Comedy / Characters: 17 male, 5 female, (extras)
Scenery: Interior and 4 exteriors
Liliom is a shiftless young bully in Budapest. He works intermittently as a barker for a merry go round and many servant girls fall victim to his charms. Among these girls is Julie, whom he eventually marries. Learning that he is about to become a father Liliom participates in a robbery to enhance his fortunes. But he is caught and stabs himself rather than submit to arrest. He is tried in the Magistrate's court on high, but they see through him there. They know what repentance is in his heart though he is much too cocky to admit it. He is sentenced to a term of years in the purifying fires with the promise that after that sentence has been served he can go back to earth with a chance to do one good deed there. A tender and moving story told with a master's touch.

Liliom (Samuel French Acting Edition)

Literature & Fiction

Ferenc Molnár

Dramas & Plays

Concord Theatricals

The Captain of St. Margaret's

Duell, Sloan, and Pearce

When "Liliom" first appeared in 1909 the play was a failure. Bewildered audiences rejected it, although it was the product of a favorite playwright whose other works, some tinged with fantasy, they thought they understood. Here, as in other plays, the author has blended fantasy and reality with such skill that at first glance it is difficult to separate them, a state of affairs frequently encountered in the mind of the neurotic.  The play can be divided into two distinct parts, a separation which at first may seem arbitrary. We shall see that when Liliom at a certain point in his life is confronted by problems which seem to be insurmountable he goes into a profound retreat. We see that sleep is frequently utilized as a hiding place from reality. One hears the expression, "I sleep to get away from my problems." So we can look upon Liliom's method of escape as we like—sleep, is a projected fantasy.   At a certain period in the play we find him out of work, his wife is going to have a baby, and his pal, Ficsur, proposes that they commit robbery. He sees his way out of the problem, yet he has not the courage. This is the situation at the end of the third scene, when he lies down on the couch and buries his head in a pillow.   From this point on we can look upon the play as a fantasy of Liliom's. We can follow him attempting to fulfill his wishes, encountering obstacles and even creating a fantasy heaven. We can call it a dream, for many dreams are not unlike this one. After noting this division, The material in the play as a whole has certain points of the underlying motives, cravings, and dynamic factors. Certain acts and situations can considered as symbolic. From this point of view many obscurities are clarified and the entire play gains coherence.   The title of the play, "Liliom, A Legend," gives us a clue to the fantasy content. A legend tends to represent reality through the use of symbols. These the legend has, in common with folklore, the myth and fairy stories.

Liliom : A Legend in Seven Scenes and a Prologue

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Hungarian Mystery Stories / Stage 3 (ingilizce Hikaye)

Dorlion Yayınları

Chlopcy z placu broni

Meninos da Rua Paulo (Em Portuguese do Brasil)

Companhia das Letras

A PAL UTCAI FIUK.

Móra könyvkiadó

Glossy paperback; juvenile classic printed in Hungary, in English.

The Paul Street Boys

Corvina

Corvina Books

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Books by Ferenc Molnár