Romeo & Her Sister

by Jillian Blevins

FULL LENGTH QUEER HISTORICAL DRAMEDY

In 1845, Charlotte Cushman is the most famous American actress in the world, well-known for playing men's roles in the plays of Shakespeare. Despite her international fame, she harbors a secret, hidden in plain sight: she loves women. Celebrated in her own country, she has brought her sister Susan to London to play Juliet to her Romeo. Old resentments between the sisters...

FULL LENGTH QUEER HISTORICAL DRAMEDY

In 1845, Charlotte Cushman is the most famous American actress in the world, well-known for playing men's roles in the plays of Shakespeare. Despite her international fame, she harbors a secret, hidden in plain sight: she loves women. Celebrated in her own country, she has brought her sister Susan to London to play Juliet to her Romeo. Old resentments between the sisters surface as Charlotte--along with Sallie, her dresser and closest confidant--struggles to balance her exploding career, her tumultuous relationship with writer Matilda Hays, and her affair with another young woman, all while keeping her personal life hidden from her fans, her sister, and her bitter rival, Edwin Forrest. Will the play be a success or a flop? Will Charlotte and Susan put aside their differences and come together in time for the curtain to rise? Will Forrest uncover Charlotte's secret and use it to ruin her career? And can Charlotte allow anyone close enough to know the real her?

SHENYC 2022 SEMI-FINALIST
WORKSHOP, WHISKEY THEATRE FACORY 2022
READ AND RANT, ATHENA PROJECT 2023
SALON READING SERIES, ANGELS THEATRE COMPANY, 2023
WORLD PREMIERE, NEW HAMPSHIRE THEATRE PROJECT, 2024

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Romeo & Her Sister

Recommended by

  • monte vognsen: Romeo & Her Sister by Jillian Blevins
    “

    An enchanting piece. Beautifully written and likely as much fun to play as to experience.

    An enchanting piece. Beautifully written and likely as much fun to play as to experience.

    ”
  • John Minigan: Romeo & Her Sister by Jillian Blevins
    “

    I had the great pleasure of seeing the premiere production of Jillian Blevins' often funny, richly imagined, and highly satisfying Romeo & Her Sister. The play captures the complexity of its three central characters – sisters Charlotte and Susan Cushman and Sally Mercer – as they struggle to navigate their relationships with one another, with their identities, and with the world (theatrical and otherwise) around them. At the same time, it centers an important piece of queer history and provides a compelling portrait of the challenges and ultimate joy and power of even difficult sisterhood.

    I had the great pleasure of seeing the premiere production of Jillian Blevins' often funny, richly imagined, and highly satisfying Romeo & Her Sister. The play captures the complexity of its three central characters – sisters Charlotte and Susan Cushman and Sally Mercer – as they struggle to navigate their relationships with one another, with their identities, and with the world (theatrical and otherwise) around them. At the same time, it centers an important piece of queer history and provides a compelling portrait of the challenges and ultimate joy and power of even difficult sisterhood.

    ”
  • Francis RTM Boyle: Romeo & Her Sister by Jillian Blevins
    “

    I had very little knowledge of either Cushman sister before this play. Jillian Blevins has created a period piece that takes an audience member backstage into the people who orbit Charlotte Cushman, with every character fleshed out as we come to realize, along with Charlotte, that she is a star in a constellation and not the center of everything.

    A piece with opportunities for comedy, farce, drama, and period work, not to mention a bit of Shakespeare, Romeo & Her Sister delivers for all types of actors and audiences.

    I had very little knowledge of either Cushman sister before this play. Jillian Blevins has created a period piece that takes an audience member backstage into the people who orbit Charlotte Cushman, with every character fleshed out as we come to realize, along with Charlotte, that she is a star in a constellation and not the center of everything.

    A piece with opportunities for comedy, farce, drama, and period work, not to mention a bit of Shakespeare, Romeo & Her Sister delivers for all types of actors and audiences.

    ”
View all 22 recommendations

Character Information

  • SALLIE MERCER
    A free black woman, bright and outspoken. Charlotte’s assistant, dresser, and closest confidant. American.
    20-25
    Black
    (she/her)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      Black, African, Caribbean, or African American
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • MATILDA HAYS
    Bookish and mousy. A journalist, translator of French, and a failed actress. Charlotte’s lover. Sometimes called Max. English.
    25-30
    (she/her)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • EDWIN FORREST
    An actor. Pompous and bombastic, with a professional grudge against Charlotte. Tall, imposing, and extremely American.
    30-40
    (he/him)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      30s,
      40s
    • Actor Race/Ethnic Identity
      White
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • BENJAMIN WEBSTER
    Manager of London’s Royal Haymarket Theatre. Anxious and polite. Very English.
    40's or 50's.
    (he/him)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      40s,
      50s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Male
  • ELEANORA
    An ardent fan of Charlotte’s and an aspiring actress. Pretty and a bit dim. English.
    18-20
    (she/her)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      Teens,
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female
  • CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN
    CHARLOTTE CUSHMAN - Tall, masculine, and intense. Beautiful speaking voice, powerful presence. American. (CHARLOTTE’s pronouns are she/her—-but non-binary and trans actors can and should be considered to play her, and to tell her story through the lens of their own experience.)
    29
    (she/her) or (she/they) or (they/them)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s,
      30s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female,
      Non-binary
  • SUSAN CUSHMAN
    Charlotte’s sister, delicate and pretty. The mother of eight year old Ned, her scandalous marriage to a man in his 70’s has been dissolved. Spoiled but charming. American.
    23
    (she/her)
    Can be played by:
    • Actor Age
      20s
    • Actor Gender Identity
      Female

Development History

  • Workshop, Athena Project Read & Rant, 2023
  • Reading, Whiskey Theatre Factory , 2022

Production History

  • Professional, New Hampshire Theatre Project, 2024

Awards

  • Semi-Finalist
    SHENYC
    2022