Ever the romantic, Emma Woodhouse prides herself on being the best matchmaker in her town. Goaded by her friend George Knightley, she sets out on a quest to set up the adorable ingénue Harriet with a fitting suitor. But love has its own agenda as it throws curveball after curveball – including a few for Emma herself.

In a new adaptation that’s a bit zany and irrepressibly modern, playwright Kate Hamill infuses the language and perspectives of today into Austen’s beloved characters. Thanks to her acclaimed adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, Hamill is one of the most-produced playwrights in America.

What Jane Austen fans should know

• This isn’t a traditional take on Emma. Major characters and plot points hold fast, but Hamill approaches her adaptation in radical ways, including leaning into screwball comedy a la Lucille Ball.
• It’s a joyous, feminist take in conversation with the classic: You’ll see gorgeous period costumes with quirky modern twists that speak to both then and now.
• You may be surprised by who says what — and how. One thing we know to be true: You’ll never see Emma the same way again.

About the Artists
Kate Hamill’s acclaimed adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility have made her one of the most-produced playwrights in America. Meredith McDonough directed the world premiere of Emma at the Guthrie and has previously worked as the associate artistic director at Actors Theatre of Louisville and the director of new works at TheatreWorks in Palo Alto.

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