The Three Sisters Brontë

by Arlene Hutton

Set against the bleak and windy Yorkshire moors, three sisters struggle to find creative prosperity while navigating the harsh realities of male society. Faced with limited opportunities for educated women, Charlotte, Emily and Anne live in the rich worlds of their imaginations, until they are forced to face the truth that nothing is certain, and their destinies are best served when held firmly in their own...

Set against the bleak and windy Yorkshire moors, three sisters struggle to find creative prosperity while navigating the harsh realities of male society. Faced with limited opportunities for educated women, Charlotte, Emily and Anne live in the rich worlds of their imaginations, until they are forced to face the truth that nothing is certain, and their destinies are best served when held firmly in their own hands.
Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s classic, "The Three Sisters Brontë" is an adaptation that explores the parallels in the lives of the Brontës and the Prozorovs.

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The Three Sisters Brontë

Recommended by

  • Robert Alexander Wray: The Three Sisters Brontë

    Gleaming with Chekhovian structure and style, the play--about gender politics, about family, about religion's place in the world, about art, about love--revs its engines in classical form and takes off and soars under the power of its exploration of dreams both dashed and achieved. Reading it was akin to taking in a Dickens novel: Rich characters in a fully realized world with stories told against the backdrop of looming death. That said, it's also funny! This is a play that should be produced asap, and often.

    Gleaming with Chekhovian structure and style, the play--about gender politics, about family, about religion's place in the world, about art, about love--revs its engines in classical form and takes off and soars under the power of its exploration of dreams both dashed and achieved. Reading it was akin to taking in a Dickens novel: Rich characters in a fully realized world with stories told against the backdrop of looming death. That said, it's also funny! This is a play that should be produced asap, and often.

  • Stephen Kaplan: The Three Sisters Brontë

    A brilliant combination of the Brontës and Chekhov's Three Sisters that illuminates each. Fantastic roles for actors (especially the women) and would be a perfect show for any theatre looking for a piece that lives comfortably alongside the "classics." Those that are familiar with Chekhov's play will get a kick out of how Hutton seamlessly replaces the moors for the "not Moscow" town and it makes you wonder if Chekhov had really had the three sisters Brontë in mind when he wrote his play. I can't wait to see this play done!

    A brilliant combination of the Brontës and Chekhov's Three Sisters that illuminates each. Fantastic roles for actors (especially the women) and would be a perfect show for any theatre looking for a piece that lives comfortably alongside the "classics." Those that are familiar with Chekhov's play will get a kick out of how Hutton seamlessly replaces the moors for the "not Moscow" town and it makes you wonder if Chekhov had really had the three sisters Brontë in mind when he wrote his play. I can't wait to see this play done!

  • Cheryl Bear: The Three Sisters Brontë

    A great adaptation of a time old story of living in patriarchy, beautifully brought to life. Well done.

    A great adaptation of a time old story of living in patriarchy, beautifully brought to life. Well done.

Development History

  • Type Workshop, Organization UCSB LaunchPad, Year 2019
  • Type Workshop, Organization Rubicon Theatre, Year 2017
  • Type Reading, Organization The Barrow Group, Year 2016
  • Type Reading, Organization New Dramatists, Year 2016
  • Type Reading, Organization Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, London, UK, Year 2014
  • Type Workshop, Organization The Lark Play Development Center, Year 2012

Production History

  • Type Workshop, Organization PURE Theatre, Charleston, SC, Year 2013