The Yellow Wallpaper
Book and Lyrics by Sam Norman, Music by Eliza Randall
1892. A country mansion on the East Coast. A bright yellow bedroom.
A young woman is suffering from an unidentifiable postpartum disorder, and the doctor prescribes bedrest until she recovers. She’s not allowed to see her baby. But that night, while the rest of the house sleeps, she realises she may not be alone...
Dealing with themes of isolation, mental health and motherhood, this piece is a musical retelling of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s classic short story, written under the spectre of COVID. It received its virtual premiere courtesy of HARP Theatricals and its stage premiere at Alleyway Theatre, both in 2021; it was also a finalist for the Mazumdar Short Play Prize. It has been featured in the Irvington Theater Short Play Fest and performed by Blank Conversations Theatre Company at the Readers Theatre, New Mexico State University.
What Critics Say
“An impressive little musical... [which] amplifies its feminist elements” – Theater Talk
“Just as timely now as it ever could be” – Buffalo Rising
“The tale still resonates” – Buffalo News
“Eerie and strangely beautiful” – Buffalo Theatre Guide
“Unmistakable resonance” – New York Theater
