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 her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...

’s ''

Sense and Sensibility ''Sense and Sensibility'' is a novel by Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; ''By A Lady'' appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor (age 19) a ...

'' and ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

'' and

William Makepeace Thackeray William Makepeace Thackeray (; 18 July 1811 – 24 December 1863) was a British novelist, author and illustrator. He is known for his satirical works, particularly his 1848 novel '' Vanity Fair'', a panoramic portrait of British society, and t ...

’s '' Vanity Fair''. In 2017, ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' named Hamill "Playwright of the Year," and she has been named one of the most-produced playwrights by Theatre Communications Group (TCG) member theaters in America for three consecutive seasons by ''American Theatre'' magazine, which is published by TCG.

Childhood and education

Hamill grew up in a dairy farmhouse in

Lansing, New York Lansing () is a town in Tompkins County, New York, United States. The population was 11,691 at the 2020 census. The town is named after John Lansing. People from Lansing were early settlers of Lansing, Michigan, and named it after their hometo ...

, 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 received a BFA in acting from

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and go ...

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 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, as opposed to her elder sister ...

''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 an ...

''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 twelve-week repertory season each year, operating under a large open-air theater tent. Its producti ...

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 ci ...

and

Mr. Darcy Fitzwilliam Darcy Esquire, generally referred to as Mr. Darcy, is one of the two central characters in Jane Austen's 1813 novel '' Pride and Prejudice''. He is an archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Benn ...

, transferred to Manhattan's

Primary Stages Primary Stages was founded in 1984 by Casey Childs as an Off-Broadway not-for-profit theater company. In 2004, Primary Stages moved from its 99-seat home of 17 years at 354 West 45th Street to the 199-seat theater at 59E59 Theaters. In 2014, the ...

. This play was published in script form by Dramatists Play Service INC.

''Little Women''

In 2019, Hamill's adaptation of ''Little Women'' 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, N ...

, directed by Sarna Lapine.

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