“Aunt Hattie’s House,” written and performed by Emma Palzere-Rae, premiered in 2000 at the Heartland Chautauqua, and in that same year, East Lynne Theater Company brought the show to Cape May, NJ.

Now 20 years later, ELTC is proud to present “Aunt Hattie’s House: Reconstructed,” featuring a revised script, not only to make the play available virtually, but to reflect some of the progress anti-racism work has taken during this time. The play explores what compelled Harriet Beecher Stowe to pen “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the best-selling novel that is said to have changed the course of United States history. Published ten years before the start of the Civil War, the book’s stark portrayal of slavery sparked a heated national conversation on abolition. Meanwhile, Stowe, was raising seven children and, through her writing, she became the primary breadwinner of her household. The play explores Stowe’s passion for justice, while giving us a look into the life of the 19th century working mother.

“Aunt Hattie’s House: Reconstructed” premieres on Thursday, April 22 at https://tinyurl.com/ELTC-HATTIE, and is available anytime through Sunday, April 25. ELTC strongly recommends that you connect your computer to a flat screen TV with an HDMI cable so you​can see the show ​on a larger screen with better sound, and even use Closed Caption if you like. The show is also available directly on ELTC’s YouTube Channel on Smart TVs, so no hook-up necessary.

“Aunt Hattie’s House: Reconstructed” is directed by Albert Cremin, with Production Stage Management by Carin Jennie Estey, and the costume was designed and built by Marion T. Brady.

Most recently for ELTC, Emma Palzere-Rae played Mrs. Miller in “Ah, Wilderness!” She has performed in other regional, stock and off-Broadway theaters, as well as in film, television and radio. She founded Be Well Productions in 1989, touring several critically acclaimed one-woman plays on characters as diverse as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Emily Dickinson and Gilda Radner. In 1990, she banded together with other female solo artists to create NYC’s “Womenkind Festival.” Currently, she is the Associate Director at Artreach, Inc. in Norwich, CT. A graduate of Emerson College, Emma is an active member of Actors’ Equity, and the Dramatists Guild, where she serves as the regional representative for New England – West.

Content Warning: This production contains material that may be distressing to some viewers, including discussions of suicide, rape, slavery, and the death of a child as well as depictions of enslaved peoples, and the use of gunshot sound effects. This event is made possible with support from CultureSECT Economic Recovery Fund of the Southeastern CT Cultural Coalition and Community Foundation of Eastern CT and with support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts, which also receives funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.

To learn more about the nonprofit Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company, located in Cape May, NJ, visit https://eastlynnetheater.org. Our mainstage season runs from mid-June through December, and we’re back again in March. We also have educational outreach and special programs like “Tales of the Victorians” and silent films with live organ accompaniment. To watch other videos, visit our YouTube Page: https://www.tinyurl.com/ELTCYouTube.