THE MUSICAL
BOOK BY HANNAH CHURCH | MUSIC & LYRICS BY JULIA APPLETON
BASED ON THE CELEBRATED SHORT STORY BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN
THE
YELLOW
WALLPAPER
THE DEFINITIVE MUSICAL ADAPTATION
BOOK BY HANNAH CHURCH
MUSIC & LYRICS BY JULIA APPLETON
BASED ON THE CELEBRATED SHORT STORY BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN
THE
YELLOW
WALLPAPER
THE DEFINITIVE MUSICAL ADAPTATION
BOOK BY HANNAH CHURCH | MUSIC & LYRICS BY JULIA APPLETON
BASED ON THE CELEBRATED SHORT STORY BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN
THE SHOW
The Yellow Wallpaper is the definitive musical adaptation of the celebrated short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Refreshed for modern audiences with a richer plot and new original music, the show tells the haunting story of a young mother at the turn of the last century, locked in a strange room by her physician husband, with only her depression to keep her company.
Energized for a new generation in a time when its message is more relevant than ever, The Yellow Wallpaper is a bonafide classic in the making. In addition, its themes are ripe for study by students of history, literature & women’s studies.
It has been featured by the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival and PlaySmelter New Work Theatre Festival.
THE STORY
The Yellow Wallpaper, first published in 1892, is regarded as an important early work of Women’s literature, illustrating attitudes in the 19th century toward women’s health, both physical and mental.
Following the birth of their first child, a young women’s husband believes it is in her best interest to take a prolonged “rest cure”. Forgoing other rooms in the house, the couple moves into the upstairs nursery, which is covered in floor-to-ceiling yellow wallpaper.
As a form of treatment, the unnamed woman is forbidden from working, and is encouraged to eat well and get plenty of exercise and air, so that she can recuperate from what her husband calls a “temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency.” This diagnosis was common to women in that period.
The story details the descent of a young woman into madness and her increasingly relationship with the haunting yellow wallpaper that grows on her wall.
THE WRITERS
HANNAH CHURCH | PLAYWRIGHT
Hannah Church is an actress/playwright in Atlanta, GA. She has worked at the Alliance Theatre (Knuffle Bunny, Born For This, A Christmas Carol, Little Raindrop Songs, The Yellow Wallpaper), Aurora Theatre (Mamma Mia, Bridges of Madison County), Synchronicity Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Arís Theatre, Hot(lanta) Theatre (The Last Five Years), and the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival in her co-written musical The Yellow Wallpaper. International Tours: The Tower (Artspot Educational Theatre) where she performed in South America, the Middle East, and Asia. Favorite Regional credits: Spring Awakening and Romeo & Juliet (Roxy Regional).
2014/15 Playwright Apprentice at Horizon Theatre. Teaching Artist ages 3-18 at the Alliance Theatre. Film/Tv (The Oval-BET, Street Fighter-Starz/Syfy, Killer Couples-Oxygen)
JULIA APPLETON | COMPOSER
JULIA APPLETON is a songwriter & artist manager in London, Canada. In 2018, Julia participated in the ETC Lab courtesy of Eclipse Theatre Company in Toronto. Julia is an alumna of the 2019 The Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriter’s Project: The highly competitive program attracts applicants from around the world and invites 12 songwriters to spend a week in residence at Northwestern University working with award-winning professional master teachers.
Julia is thrilled at the potential of her first musical The Yellow Wallpaper, written with playwright and life-long friend, Hannah Church. The show has been featured in the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival in 2016, PlaySmelter Theatre Festival in 2018, and in The Alliance Theater’s Reiser Lab.
In her spare time, Julia enjoys hiking and long road-trips. She is currently working on a country-pop artist project of her own. Julia would like to thank the everyone for their support of this show!
THE SUPPORT
MICHAEL PATERSON | ARRANGER
MICHAEL PATERSON is a composer and arranger working in Ottawa, Canada. His work arranging Julia’s songs has been instrumental (no pun intended!) to the show reaching its full potential.
FRANÇOIS “FRANCY” GOUDREAULT | MUSIC PRODUCER
FRANCY GOUDREAULT is a record producer, songwriter, sound designer, and storyteller in London, Canada. From the initial demos to a fully realized cast album, Francy has helped craft the show’s musical style & sound.
CONTACT
The Yellow Wallpaper is available for licensing in your 2022 season.
If you’d like to reach out to its creators, please email info@theyellowwallpapermusical.com
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
© SECRET LEVEL ENTERTAINMENT 2018