The Shadow of A Doubt
An ongoing staged reading series, For Your (Re)Consideration explores the works of historically overlooked female writers. Featuring a variety of distinct voices and styles from different historical periods, the readings seek to bring attention to these remarkable women who have been sidelined by history for reasons that had nothing to do with their talent and everything to do with their gender and, in many cases, their race.
In 2023, Ghostlight Ensemble presents the recently rediscovered play, The Shadow of A Doubt, by novelist Edith Wharton. This is a co-production with the Richard H. Driehaus Museum.
Set at the turn of the twentieth century, The Shadow of a Doubt, explores the issues surrounding social position, remarriage, the roles of women and euthanasia. Replete with Wharton’s trademark wit and skewering of Gilded Age manners, the play centers around nurse Kate Tredennis, who marries John Derwent, a widower of one of Kate’s former patients and friends. Elevated into society through her marriage, Kate is a model wife and stepmother, but she feels uneasy with her new position and faces constant scrutiny for her lowlier background. Soon, her unease is manifested when a man from her past casts suspicion on Kate and accuses her in the first Mrs. Derwent’s death.
Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was an American novelist whose long career included the publication of more than forty books, most notably The Age of Innocence, Ethan Fromme and The House of Mirth. Her stories centered on the American experience of the time and were known for their vivid settings, satiric wit, ironic style and moral seriousness. While still renowned as a novelists, her plays were largely forgotten.
The reading runs about 90 minutes with an intermission. A brief talkback will follow.
Details
Where: The Nickerson Ballroom at the Richard H. Driehaus Museum
(40 East Erie St., Chicago, IL 60611)
When: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
What time: 6:30 p.m.
How much: General Audience: $40 || Driehaus Museum Members: $35 || Students: $20
Tickets are available in advance through the Driehaus Museum by clicking here.