A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Hatmaker's Wife

Full-Length Play, Comedy  /  3w, 3m

When a young woman moves in with her boyfriend expecting domestic bliss, their new house reveals the magical tale of its previous inhabitants: an old hat-maker and his long-suffering wife, who runs away with his favorite hat. This sweet and surreal story bends time and space to redefine the idea of family, home, and true love itself.

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 3m
  • Duration
    Duration
    90 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Fantasy, Fable/Folktale, Romantic Comedy
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Appropriate for All Audiences

Details

Summary
In Lauren Yee's whimsical and poignant new play The Hatmaker's Wife, a young woman moves in with her boyfriend expecting domestic bliss, but instead has trouble getting comfortable. Her strange new home seems determined to help out – and soon the walls are talking. They reveal the magical tale of an old hatmaker and his long-suffering wife, who runs away with his favorite hat. This sweet and surreal story bends time and space to redefine the idea of family, home, and true love itself.
History
The Hatmaker's Wife premiered Off-Broadway at The Playwrights Realm in September 2013, under the direction of Rachel Chavkin. 
HETCHMAN – Our hero. Hetchman the hatmaker. He wears a hat. Curmudgeonly. 
HETCHMAN’S WIFE– Wife of Hetchman. Nondescript. Does she have a name? Who knows. 
MECKEL– Hetchman’s neighbor and only friend. Meckel is cheerful, popular, and kind. He is the opposite of Hetchman. He also wears a hat. 
VOICE– A young woman. 
GABE– Voice’s boyfriend. Easygoing in a way Voice has never been. 
WALL– A wall. Probably female, speaks with a quasi-Eastern European accent. 
GOLEM– A golem, a la the Jewish golem of Prague. Only makes sounds but does intuit what is going on. Eats a lot. Made of mud and crap. 

HETCHMAN, his WIFE, and MECKEL, despite being “old,” are not necessarily old old. They are old in the way your math teacher could be fifty or ninety. Ageless. They also all speak with quasi-Eastern European accents.

The wall speaks all BOLDED TEXT IN CAPS and is realized in the play as an unseen voiceover. The actor playing the wall does not appear on stage. The wall’s voice should emanate from a specific place (as opposed to a “voice of god from above”).

GOLEM can be double cast with GABE.

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day
  • Setting A living room. 
  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Additional Features No Intermission
  • Duration 90 minutes
  • Cautions
    • Strong Language

Media

"Subtle magical spectacle with a message. Ultimately, this story is about love: who we love and why, how we learn to love, and how we love even when it is difficult.” – New York Theatre Review

“Ms. Yee — a rising young dramatist whose earlier works include Ching Chong Chinaman — brings a courageous, childlike conviction to her fey land of make-believe.” – The New York Times, Read More

“What makes The Hatmaker's Wife a success is its dexterity and fluidity. Yee's characters and story lines jump back and forth not only between the realistic and the fantastical but also between gut-laughter funny and hit-you-in-the-gut sad — and they do so with astounding truthfulness.” – TheatreMania, Read More

“There is much to enjoy in the circuitous daring of The Hatmaker’s Wife, which often veers into unexpected places... one must admire a play that tries to wear so many hats.” – Time Out New York, Read More

Videos

  • The Hatmaker's Wife - Trailer youtube thumbnail

    The Hatmaker's Wife - Trailer

  • The Hatmaker's Wife - Sneak Peek youtube thumbnail

    The Hatmaker's Wife - Sneak Peek

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $120 per performance

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Authors

Lauren Yee

Lauren Yee was the second most produced playwright in America for the 2019/20 theatrical season (as per American Theatre Magazine). Her plays include Cambodian Rock Band (South Coast Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, La Jolla Playhouse, City Theatre, Merrimack Rep) and The Gr ...
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