benevolent

written by Sophie McIntosh
directed by Nina Goodheart
produced by Good Apples Collective

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Set in 1917, benevolent follows four young women consigned to New York’s Inwood Benevolent Home, a draconian reformatory for fallen and friendless girls.  

Forced into drudgery in the basement laundry, the women forge unlikely connections. But when one of them finds herself in trouble, the others must decide what they're willing to risk in order to help her.

Fierce, funny, and frank, benevolent is a piercing illumination of female solidarity: both the intimate places it can be found — and the shocking ways it can be broken. Performances will be held August 14 - September 5, 2026 at IATI Theater. Tickets are now on sale.

Understudy Morgan S. Perry will be performing as "Emma" at the performances scheduled for August 29th at 7:30 p.m.

Masks are required at the following performances: Saturday, 8/16 at 2 p.m. and Friday, 8/29 at 7:30 p.m.

even good girls make mistakes.

CREATIVE TEAM & Cast

Playwright & Producer: Sophie McIntosh
Director & Producer: Nina Goodheart
Associate Producer: Sarah Jones
Stage Manager: Damayanti Wallace
Associate Director and Dramaturg: B.T. Hayes
Fight + Intimacy Director: Willow Funkhouser
Assistant Stage Manager: Jenna Rowell
Scenic Designer: Junran “Charlotte” Shi
Lighting Designer: Paige Seber
Props Designer: Sean Frank
Costume Designer: Saawan Tiwari
Sound Designer: Max Van
Production Electrician: Max Stroeher

Emma: Mia Fowler *
Abby: Livvy Marcus *
Sarah: Rachel Ravel *
Margaret: Chani Reese

Understudy for Abby, Sarah, and Margaret: Healy Knight*
Understudy for Emma: Morgan S. Perry*

* Denotes member of Actors’ Equity Association.
benevolent is an Equity Showcase Pending Approval.

content warnings

Spoilers ahead.

  • Forced institutionalization, abortion, racism, sexual content including sexual assault, blood and bodily fluids, vomiting, pregnancy and childbirth, physical violence, death, medical abuse.

  • Extensive discussion and depiction of forced institutionalization.

    Abortions, abortifacients, unwanted pregnancy, and death in childbirth are discussed in detail. One scene features a teenage girl beginning the process of a medication abortion onstage.

    Implied vomiting offstage.

    Discussion of several distinct instances of sexual assault.

    Onstage depictions of consensual sexual acts. (There is no nudity.)

    Simulated blood and bodily fluids.

    Violence, including one character hitting another character.

    Discussion of medical abuse, including a character recounting a time they received invasive and damaging medical care.