The Hull/Hawley Plays: the WIDOW'S lAND & HOLD tHESE tRUTHS
September 17 - October 4, 2026
Staged in the Shepherd's Barn, Historic Northampton
To mark the 250th, this fall Historic Northampton, in collaboration with Plays in Place, will premiere two new plays. These dramas take us into the lives of two Northampton residents who, in the lead up to the American Revolution, are each fighting for their own autonomy and freedom.
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The Widow’s Land
by Betel Arnold In 1765, Bathsheba Hull, a Black woman living with her children in her home on an island in the Mill River, receives an eviction notice from the white town officials.
This new play follows her fight for her home, her position as a free woman in colonial Northampton, and her children’s future. |
Hold These Truths
by Harley Erdman In May 1774, Massachusetts is on the cusp of open rebellion against the crown following the oppressive acts of its royally appointed governors, most recently General Gage. The province is about to take the lead in defiantly calling for a first-ever “Continental Congress” in Philadelphia to coordinate the disparate colonies’ actions.
Northampton's Joseph Hawley is a preeminent Patriot leader and lawyer. Hold These Truths explores Hawley’s life and his struggles with mental illness in the lead up to the first Continental Congress.
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Both 40-minute plays will be performed every time and
will be followed by a brief talkback with the artists and a historian.
will be followed by a brief talkback with the artists and a historian.
Commissioned by Historic Northampton, the plays are produced by Plays In Place,
a Florence, Massachusetts theatre company that brings historic stories to life with site-specific plays.
a Florence, Massachusetts theatre company that brings historic stories to life with site-specific plays.
Major Funding for the Hull/Hawley Plays has been provided by the SCP Foundation
Registration for the Hull/Hawley Plays will open on July 15, 2026.
Ticket Prices
General Admission ~ Sliding Scale
$25 Regular Admission
$35 Patron of the Arts & History
$50 Champion of Arts & History
$15 (Card to Culture)
General Admission ~ Sliding Scale
$25 Regular Admission
$35 Patron of the Arts & History
$50 Champion of Arts & History
$15 (Card to Culture)
Performances will take place:
Refund Policy
This is a no refund event. Refunds will not be issued for change-of-mind reasons or time conflicts.
You may request a partial admission ticket refund for medical issues such as COVID-19 or a COVID-19 exposure
by emailing [email protected] at least six hours prior to the start of the event.
This is a no refund event. Refunds will not be issued for change-of-mind reasons or time conflicts.
You may request a partial admission ticket refund for medical issues such as COVID-19 or a COVID-19 exposure
by emailing [email protected] at least six hours prior to the start of the event.
