Hope Springs Internal

by Eleanor Evans-Wickberg

It's 2008 and fourteen-year-old Charlotte, a self-proclaimed “performance artist," is about to get her big break at the Chicago Middle School Arts Festival. Unfortunately for Charlotte, her Mom and her two sisters—Darcy, an ex-ballerina, and Amelia, a precocious violin “prodigy”—just don’t understand her. If only her Dad, who’s busy helping Obama get elected, would show up and rescue her. . . Part family drama...

It's 2008 and fourteen-year-old Charlotte, a self-proclaimed “performance artist," is about to get her big break at the Chicago Middle School Arts Festival. Unfortunately for Charlotte, her Mom and her two sisters—Darcy, an ex-ballerina, and Amelia, a precocious violin “prodigy”—just don’t understand her. If only her Dad, who’s busy helping Obama get elected, would show up and rescue her. . . Part family drama, part wacky comedy, and part coming-of-age story, Hope Springs Internal is a hilarious and angst-filled journey into girlhood, politics, and what it means to be an artist.

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Hope Springs Internal

Recommended by

  • Zack Peercy: Hope Springs Internal by Eleanor Evans-Wickberg
    “

    Thankful to catch a workshop production of this with Black Cat Theatre! This script is more than ready for a premiere - insightful, funny, and deeply engaging. Evans-Wickberg portrays 2008 with a deep love and critical eye; a perfect balance for a period piece. An absolute crowd-pleaser just waiting to pop off.

    Thankful to catch a workshop production of this with Black Cat Theatre! This script is more than ready for a premiere - insightful, funny, and deeply engaging. Evans-Wickberg portrays 2008 with a deep love and critical eye; a perfect balance for a period piece. An absolute crowd-pleaser just waiting to pop off.

    ”
  • Zach Barr: Hope Springs Internal by Eleanor Evans-Wickberg
    “

    The only person more insufferable than a genius is a teenage genius, and it’s a testament to Evans-Wickberg’s writing that Charlotte retains the audience’s sympathy even as she spirals into artistic pretentiousness. Laugh out loud funny, but hiding a tragic heart beneath, the play asks potent questions about the true value of family, friends, activism, and honesty. A delight to watch in workshop.

    The only person more insufferable than a genius is a teenage genius, and it’s a testament to Evans-Wickberg’s writing that Charlotte retains the audience’s sympathy even as she spirals into artistic pretentiousness. Laugh out loud funny, but hiding a tragic heart beneath, the play asks potent questions about the true value of family, friends, activism, and honesty. A delight to watch in workshop.

    ”
[6W]
CHARLOTTE, 14, self-assured and inventive
FRANCES, 14, Charlotte’s best friend, unassuming and thoughtful
AMELIA, 11, Charlotte’s younger sister, precocious and determined
DARCY, 18, Charlotte’s older sister, cynical and sardonic
VICTORIA, 41, Charlotte’s mom, practical and frazzled
MS. LOVELAND, 32, Charlotte’s art teacher, compassionate and kooky

Development History

  • Reading, Black Cat Theatre, 2025

Awards

  • Rooftop Reading Series
    Breaking & Entering Theater Collective
    Finalist
    2025
  • James E. Michael Prize in Playwriting
    Winner
    2021