Play for performance: Emilia

Emilia is the story of poet, writer, teacher, and proto-feminist voice of the 17th century, Emilia Bassano (later Lanier) – and one of the first women to have her poetry published in England. Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's play takes Emilia's story and uses it as a call to arms, rejecting the injustice of women across the centuries who have been silenced, abused, and neglected by history.

Over the course of writing, the play grew from a straightforward historical account into something much bolder and more contemporary: it is not a naturalistic depiction of Elizabethan England but takes place in a theatrical dream landscape where the 17th and 21st centuries intersect. The biggest decision was to have the role of Emilia played by three actors: Morgan's aim is to break apart the hierarchy of having a single lead. Emilia requires a strong ensemble of actors. In a cast of thirteen, as the original production had, almost everyone played multiple roles, ranging from cameos to the women and men who shaped Emilia's life.