The Hatmaker's Wife at Theater J

The Hatmaker's Wife

Theater J
1529 Sixteenth Street, NW Washington

Magic and realism collide in this modern fable about learning to love. A young woman moves in with her boyfriend, and when she has trouble getting comfortable, her strange new home seems determined to help out, literally. The walls start to talk, words magically appear, and a golem with a taste for Cheetos gets into the action. A cross between a ghost story and a Yiddish fable, Lauren Yee's moving and whimsical The Hatmaker's Wife redefines home, family, and love.

Thru - Jun 25, 2024

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 202-777-3210

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The Hatmaker's Wife Reviews

Average Rating based on 4 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Washington Post - Recommended

"...Also prominent is the idea of home, especially as it relates to the Jewish diaspora and immigrant stories of the middle of the 20th century. What does it mean to grow up unmoored, with a lost connection to the people and culture that’s supposed to help define your identity? This question makes for a bittersweet ending to “The Hatmaker’s Wife,” which otherwise has joyfully low stakes: a new home, a lost hat and plenty of laughs."

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- Sophia Solano

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"...How many times have we heard the phrase “if these walls could talk”? Well, in Lauren Yee’s play The Hatmaker’s Wife, the Wall not only speaks; it rains down pages of text, detailing a story that’s far from pretty. Whether audience members at DC’s Theater J, in a last-of-season production directed by Dan Rothenberg, buy this conceit or not depends on their capacity for whimsy seasoned generously with magic realism."

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- Amy Kotkin

MD Theatre Guide - Highly Recommended

"...A strange, modern fairytale of the Hans Christian Anderson rather than Disney persuasion, "The Hatmaker's Wife" is sure to enchant any theatergoer seeking whimsy and tragedy in equal parts. Ample comedy keeps the energy high, even when the pacing stumbles. The hallmarks of Lauren Yee's distinctive voice are evident, with a puzzle-box plot and touches of magic. But unlike her later works, this ending isn't quite tied down, leaving it to float away like an unloved child."

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- Charlotte Selton

BroadwayWorld - Highly Recommended

"...The Hatmaker’s Wife is part drama, part ghost story, and part Yiddishkeit mythology, and playwright Lauren Yee weaves the various elements of this show into something even more magical than the world brought to life on Theater J’s stage."

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- Rachael F. Goldberg

The Hatmaker's Wife at Theater J