MEGAN GRAY LEDERMAN

Hester talks often about her job as an abortionist in the sense that she debates who she is as a person who performs these services.

She shares in scene 9 with Butcher that she has been forced into performing abortions for women "Go to prison or take this job. That was my choice. Choose A or choose B. I choose A". She spends much of the show talking about her job.

Abortion is often referred to in the script through the language TALK, so the word abortion is never spoken. Instead this action is characterized as "killing babies" and Hester being the "baby killer".

Hester and Butcher talk about about how to kill an animal mercifully in Scene 9. He says:

"Sure I kill them but I make sure it never hurts. Ive spent all my life perfecting the painless slaughter. Lemmie show you. With his sheathed knife in hand he comes to her, standing behind her, putting the knife near her throat, instructing her. Yr slaughtering a pig. Smart animal. Also very bloody. You put him between yr legs with his back toward you, Lift up his head and quick! Slice quick. They cry out but its only reflex. Ive read all the anatomy books. This kind of cut is completely painless."

Throughout most of the play, the three hunters make many gruesome comments regarding how they plan on capturing and torturing the escaped convict, Monster. There is talk of cutting off body parts and sticking things into Monster to harm him.

For much of the play Hester makes comments and threats on how she wants kill and harm the First Lady for revenge of what she did to her son.

Hester talks about a bite mark that is on her and her sons arm. She talks about how she bit into him and herself and the pain of the mark.

In scene 12, during the picnic, Hester is told by Jailbait that he has killed Boy Smith. He says "Smashed his brains in myself. Hes dead."

In scene 13, Monster threatens to kill the First Lady if she does not bring him money.

Hester deceives the First Lady and takes her off stage. It is understood that offstage she is given an abortion which we never see a clear consent too. On stage we see nothing but hear the First Lady exclaim "Oh!" twice.

At the end of the play, with the Hunters closing in on Monster. Monster begs Hester to kill him.

Much of the play First Lady struggles to get pregnant and is blamed for this by the Mayor. He threatens to send her away and she speaks in Scene 2 about how she has done all she can to try and get pregnant.

First Lady gets pregnant later in the play revealing it in scene 13.

It is understood by the end of the play First Lady is no longer pregnant due to Hesters actions.

Language that some may find offensive appears often throughout the play both spoken and written. This language is both sexual and gruesome in nature.

Spoken language includes: "Bitch", "Fuck/ing", "Shit", and language describing both sexual encounters and disturbing violence.

Written language includes: "Pussy" including descriptive language, language describing sexual encounters.

Hester's son, Boy Smith is unfairly imprisioned after he steals some meat from the First Lady when he was a little boy. We learn that this "initial three year sentence has doubled and trippled and quadrupled and — since hes been in jail hes committed several crimes." Hester insists these crimes are untrue and her son has been framed. This very clearly exposes a flawed and corrupt system.

In exposition, we learn Hesters job as an abortionist is a punishment from her sons crime. She is forced to continue doing this job so she is not put in jail and so she can visit her son and get him out of jail.

The Mayor threatens to punish his wife for not producing and son.

The Hunters assemble together and talk gruesomely about how they plan to hurt, punish, and kill the escaped convict, Monster.

Butcher speaks on how his daughter was also unfairly punished for an extreme list of crimes.

Hester take revenge upon herself and plans to punish the First Lady for being the reason her son is in jail by killing her / ending her pregnancy. She takes action on this at the end of the play.

In scene 12, the picnic, Jailbait begins to touch Hester without her consent. She asks Jailbait what he is doing, asks him to stop, and to not touch her, yet he continues.

Canary Mary makes several references to being owned sexually by the Mayor and him "own[ing] exclusive rights" to her.

Hester is branded with the letter A to signal to the community she is an abortionist. When she is on stage her brand can be seen on her chest.

Throughout the play we will sometimes see Hesters tools, a bloody apron or blood on her clothing. This "blood" is comprised of strings and fibrous materials so the blood is a stylistic and unrealistic representation.

In scene 10, Monster grabs Hester, puts his hand over her mouth so she can't yell and threatens to kill her.

In scene 19, Hester deceives the First Lady and takes her off stage. It is understood that offstage she is given an abortion which we never see a clear consent too. On stage we see nothing but hear the First Lady exclaim "Oh!" twice.

At the end of the play, in scene 19 with the Hunters closing in on Monster. Monster begs Hester to kill him. As he sits in front of her we see Hester hold a knife to his throat. The platform turns and as it finishes turning all the way around it is understood that Hester has killed Monster as we see his lying on the ground. The Hunters come and drag his body away.

In scene 12 when Hester goes on her picnic she is sexually assaulted by Jailbait. The representation of this is not realistic and the audience does not see anything explicit.

We see Jailbait caress her and bury his head in her lap. Hester's body is covered in her cloak with only her head visible. Two actors hold up her cloak from behind her with only her head poked through. We see Jailbait go behind her, bend down, and disappear. It is assumed that when he disappears behind her he is assaulting her. The audience see's Hester's face only as she sings and the assault happens.

Both Hester and Butcher wear bloody aprons and clothing.

Blood is often depicted as strings and fibrous materials so the representation is unrealistic and artistic.

We see a simulation of sex between The Mayor and Canary Mary. All the audience sees is them getting partially unclothed and then go behind a sheet being lifted up by two other actors. Their arms and legs poke out beyond the sheet in a funny manner.