Battle Hymn

Characters: 4 male, 1 female with doubling Unit Set Winner! LA Weekly Award for Best New Play Award-winning playwright Jim Leonard's latest, Battle Hymn, is the story of 16-year-old Martha's epic pregnancy and her incredible search for motherhood, meaning, and love in a war-torn American landscape. After being abandoned by her father, losing her true love and witnessing the horrors of the Civil War firsthand, Martha settles on one incontrovertible fact: She will not raise her baby in a blood-soaked, violent country. And so, Martha keeps traveling in search of a better world and a safe place to bring forth her child...this is easier said than done. From the mud and the blood of Fort Sumter to singing cows, San Francisco and the summer of love, Martha's journey embodies the tragedy, humor and hope that have helped shape the last 150 years of U.S. history. "Refreshingly original, smart and engaging." -LA Times "Sinfully rich theatrical adventure infused with profoundly resonant social satire that produces visceral wonderment." -Backstage West "Leonard's writing is rich and often humorous, and he's skilled at creating memorable characters." -Variety