Toward a Feminist Theater

The first-ever anthology from celebrated playwright Kate Hamill

Bringing together seven critically acclaimed feminist adaptations of literary classics and one delightfully original new work, this collection demonstrates why Kate Hamill is one of the most electrifying and widely produced playwrights working today. Whether probing the power of toxic leaders (The Piper), revitalizing Jane Austen for the stage (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Emma), "cheerfully desecrating" Arthur Conan Doyle through a post-pandemic lens (Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson-Apt. 2B), reexamining an American classic's gender roles (Little Women), or dramatizing the nineteenth-century classic of puritanical New England through the lens of an ostracized mother and daughter (The Scarlet Letter), Hamill's work has transformed the theatrical landscape over the past decade.

An introduction from editor Kristin Leahey and an interview with Hamill frame this landmark anthology, with reflections on the current state of American drama, Hamill's unique dramaturgical practice, and how the art form may move further and faster toward a feminist theater.