THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

New England, 1891. Jane, a sensitive and imaginative woman, finds herself sequestered on a remote estate that her husband, a physician, has rented for the summer. She is forbidden to write, and must hide her journal entries as she recuperates from what he has diagnosed as a "temporary nervous depression” following the birth of their baby. Without anything or anyone to stimulate her, Jane becomes obsessed...
New England, 1891. Jane, a sensitive and imaginative woman, finds herself sequestered on a remote estate that her husband, a physician, has rented for the summer. She is forbidden to write, and must hide her journal entries as she recuperates from what he has diagnosed as a "temporary nervous depression” following the birth of their baby. Without anything or anyone to stimulate her, Jane becomes obsessed by the wallpaper in her bedroom as the effect of her domestic oppression and stifled creativity begins to take a toll on her sanity. A 65-minute, one-woman play adapted from the classic short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

"[The Yellow Wallpaper] casts its lot with the power of live storytelling to enchant an audience through perseverance and sincerity, not tricks or guile. An audience member’s efforts to follow where the production is leading will be richly rewarded." -Sergei Burbank, NYTheatre Now

“More then a century after it was written, The Yellow Wallpaper continues to enthrall its readers, and I was delighted to bring this dynamic stage production of the short story to campus. Annalisa Loeffler is absolutely compelling in this absorbing portrait that delves into the tormented mind of a woman who is trapped in a world she cannot escape.” --Dr. N. J. Stanley, Coordinator, Women’s & Gender Studies Program, Lycoming College, PA
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THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

Recommended by

  • Mark Loewenstern:
    10 Apr. 2021
    Saw a performance of this play 7 years ago and it stays with me, how the Wallpaper was itself another antagonist in the eyes of Jane. Bodine skillfully makes inanimate objects seem sinister, while showing us how the loving treatment of Jane's husband is in fact cruel and torturous. When retribution comes, it is layered, cathartic, satisfying. A plum role.

Development History

  • Reading
    ,
    Manhattan Theatre Source, NYC
    ,
    2009

Production History

  • Professional
    ,
    Goodly Creatures Theatre, IL
    ,
    2019
  • University
    ,
    Lycoming College, PA
    ,
    2010
  • Professional
    ,
    Manhattan Theatre Source, NYC
    ,
    2009