Amy Jo Jackson

British-Occupied Philadelphia, 1778. Tensions between British Loyalists and American Patriots are high – though not nearly as high as Neutral socialite Peggy Shippen’s hair. When the English retreat – and her crush, Captain André, along with them – Peggy is in Profound Grief. That is, until she’s swept off her feet by dashing American war hero General Benedict Arnold.

When Benedict is insulted by Congress, Peggy is livid on his behalf. Which is how, less than a month after their wedding, we find her caaaaaasually suggesting a transfer of allegiance. Y’see...she knows a guy on the other side.

Trials, travails, and treason ensue.

In the vein of the Macbeths, Bill & Hillary Clinton, and Sid & Nancy, Peggy and Ben are a dynamic, toxic duo whose coupling resulted in one of the greatest scandals of early America. If the Arnolds and John André had managed to execute their treasonous plot, it’s likely the war would have been over in late 1780, with King George victorious, George Washington captured or dead, and Benedict Arnold’s name synonymous with heroism.

They don’t...quite pull it off.

In 1900, Kansas is a Dry state – but it looks pretty Wet from where Carry Nation is sitting. Rather than enforce the state’s Prohibition Amendment, government officials are flouting the laws and skimming off the top. Carry begs God to show her the way. “The Way” turns out to be charging into a saloon and throwing bricks in every direction until a joint is destroyed. She gains notoriety, a band of supporters, and a Very Important Hatchet, all of which aids in her fight against the Big Bad Bottle. She and her Home Defenders are gonna bring Temperance to the masses – whether they like it or not.

HATCHETATION is a musical which follows real-life Temperance activist Carry A. Nation through her more notorious exploits at the turn of the last century. The show is zany, anachronistic, and adheres more closely to the actual historical events than you’d think, given how many times the word “fuck” appears in the script. HATCHETATION is written for a company of ten versatile actors across a diverse background of age, ability, race, ethnicity, and gender identity. None of the roles are to be cast with cis men.

Several years after the events of TWELFTH NIGHT, a discontented Viola arrives at Olivia’s, thinking she’s been invited by her brother Sebastian. In reality, Olivia (Sebastian’s wife) has lured Viola there, having procured from an alchemist an elixir that will transform the gender of the drinker into “what it ought to be,” which Olivia hopes will mean Cesario (Viola’s former alter ego) is coming back. When Viola catches Olivia spiking her tea with the tincture, it sparks Viola to the discovery that she isn’t a woman at all – that their gender exists somewhere...in between. A rollicking comedy (mostly) in verse about the beautiful spectrum of identity and the ridiculous spectacles we make of ourselves for love.

A modern-day Helen of Sparta has fled captivity and come home to Menelaus...but after a decade of being reviled and misunderstood, how can she return to the life she thought she knew? After Menelaus decides they should renew their marriage vows, Helen takes an unconventional path towards reclaiming renewal for herself. A feminist revenge fantasy. Ten minute play.