2 Washington Square

This stage play takes its inspiration from Henry James's novel Washington Square. Its authors built the adaptation around a role for a young actress of Hispanic heritage, and the project was developed with collaborator Ron Bashford. The production is set in the early 1960s, on the eve of a major social upheaval.

The heroine is stuck in the 1950s under the rule of her strict mother, a accomplished woman who is embarrassed that her daughter is part Hispanic. The play's backstory grew naturally out of the story the authors wanted to tell, rather than being forced onto it.

Written for adult theater companies and performers, the script explores family pressure, identity, and the tension between an older generation's expectations and a changing society.