Kate Hamill is an American actress and playwright. Hamill is known for writing and acting in innovative, contemporary adaptations of classic novels for the stage, including

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

’s ''

Sense and Sensibility ''Sense and Sensibility'' ( working title; ''Elinor and Marianne'') is the first novel by the English author Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously: ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might h ...

'', '' Emma'', and ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...

;''

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray ( ; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was an English novelist and illustrator. He is known for his Satire, satirical works, particularly his 1847–1848 novel ''Vanity Fair (novel), Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portra ...

’s '' Vanity Fair;'' Bram Stoker's ''Dracula;'' Louisa May Alcott's ''Little Women''; and Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. She also writes new plays and works as an actor, independently. In 2017, ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' named Hamill "Playwright of the Year." She has been named one of the most-produced playwrights in America for every year ranging from 2017 -2023 by ''American Theatre'' magazine, which is published by TCG Theatre Communications Group. In 2023, Primary Stages presented Hamill with the Einhorn Mentorship Award.

Childhood and education

Hamill grew up in a dairy farmhouse in Lansing, New York, or as she puts it, in "a town with more cows than people.". She was "a small, high-energy, highly emotional child" and "grew up in a household that prized reading and literature". Her bedtime reading featured Greek myths and classic novels, including Jane Austen's works. She married her long-term partner, actor and oft-time co-star Jason O'Connell, on January 20, 2020. She received a BFA in acting from

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca (town), New York, Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a Music school, conservatory of music. Ithaca College is known for its media-related programs and entertainment program ...

Career

Hamill creates stories that are female-centered and feminist. As a playwright, she has a playful and theatrical style that features absurdity while examining social and gender issues. As an actor, she "tends to play truth-tellers, oddballs, and misfits: complicated people who color outside the lines."

''Sense and Sensibility''

Hamill's ''Sense and Sensibility'' premiered in a short run at New York City's Bedlam Theater Company in November 2014. It had a longer run in 2016 directed by Eric Tucker, also at Bedlam. Hamill played

Marianne Dashwood Marianne Dashwood (eventually Marianne Brandon) is a fictional character in Jane Austen's 1811 novel ''Sense and Sensibility''. The 16-year-old second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Dashwood, she mostly embodies the "sensibility" of the title, a ...

. The play was staged at the Pacific Repertory Theatre in 2024.

''Vanity Fair''

''Vanity Fair'' was produced by Manhattan's Pearl Theater in 2017, with Hamill playing

Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate ...

''Pride and Prejudice''

Hamill's adaptation of ''Pride and Prejudice'' premiered at the

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival (HVSF) is a non-profit professional theater company based in Garrison, New York. The festival runs a roughly fourteen-week repertory season each year, operating under a large open-air theater tent. Its produc ...

in 2017, directed by Amanda Dehnert. The production, in which Hamill and her long-term partner, Jason O'Connell, play the leading roles of

Elizabeth Bennet Elizabeth Bennet is the protagonist in the 1813 novel '' Pride and Prejudice'' by Jane Austen. She is often referred to as Eliza or Lizzy by her friends and family. Elizabeth is the second child in a family of five daughters. Though the circ ...

and Mr. Darcy, transferred to Manhattan's Primary Stages. This play was published in script form by Dramatists Play Service INC.

''Little Women''

In 2018, Hamill's adaptation of ''Little Women'' premiered at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis, directed by Sarah Rasmussen. For its New York City premiere in 2019, it opened at the

Cherry Lane Theatre The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. The theater is located at 38 Commerce Street between Barrow and Bedford Streets in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village, Manhattan, ...

, directed by Sarna Lapine. This play was published in script form by Dramatists Play Service INC.

''Dracula (a feminist revenge fantasy)''

In 2020, Hamill's feminist retelling of ''Dracula'' opened at Classic Stage Company, directed by Sarna Lapine. This play was published by TRW plays.

''Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson - Apt. 2B''

In 2021, Hamill's "cheerful desecration" of Sherlock Holmes stories opened at Kansas City Rep, directed by Jose Zayas. This play was published by TRW plays.

''Emma''

In 2022, Hamill's adaptation of Jane Austen's '' Emma'' opened at the Guthrie Theatre, directed by Meredith McDonough. This play was published by TRW plays.

''The Little Fellow (Or, The Queen of Tarts Tells All)''

In 2023, Hamill's original play about the British courtesan Harriette Wilson premiered at Cygnet Theater, directed by Rob Lutfy.

''The Scarlet Letter''

In 2024, Hamill's adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne's

The Scarlet Letter ''The Scarlet Letter: A Romance'' is a historical novel by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who concei ...

premiered at Two River Theater, directed by Shelley Butler.

''The Light and The Dark (the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi)''

In August 2024, Hamill's original play about the artist

Artemisia Gentileschi Artemisia Lomi Gentileschi ( ; ; 8 July 1593) was an Italian Baroque painter. Gentileschi is considered among the most accomplished 17th century, 17th-century artists, initially working in the style of Caravaggio. She was producing professional ...

br>premiered at Chautauqua Theater Company in Chautauqua, New York
directed by Jade King Carroll. It i
currently being performed in Manhattan
at Primary Stages at 59E59 Theaters in November and December 2024.

''The Odyssey''

Hamill's 3-act adaptation of the

Homeric Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his authorship, Homer is ...

epic is scheduled to premiere at

American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

in February 2025. Shana Cooper is directing.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamill, Kate 21st-century American dramatists and playwrights Jane Austen Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American women dramatists and playwrights 21st-century American women writers American stage actresses 21st-century American actresses People from Lansing, New York Actresses from New York (state) Writers from New York (state) Ithaca College alumni