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Just don’t lie down and no child will come.
It’s Ottawa in the 1920s, pre-legalized birth control. Sophie, a young working-class girl, falls madly in love with and marries a stable-hand named Jonny. After two difficult childbirths, doctors tell Sophie she shouldn’t have any more children, but don’t tell her how to prevent it. When Sophie inevitably becomes pregnant again, she faces a grim dilemma.
In an unflinching look at love, sex, and fertility, and inspired by real stories of mothers during the Canadian birth-control movement of the early twentieth century, one of Canada’s most celebrated playwrights vividly recreates a couple’s struggles with reproduction.
Male roles: 1
Female roles: 2
Run time: 75 minutes
“By giving the women of the 1920s a voice, Moscovitch has given many contemporary women a voice as well. What a Young Wife Ought to Know is more than a compelling history lesson, it is an opportunity to contemplate the state of sexual health and freedom in our society today… ??? ? (out of 4)” —Meghan Hubley, The Globe and Mail
“The play adds to necessary, current conversations around representation of women, gender inequity and female sexuality. ” —Karen Fricker, Toronto Star
“Brace yourself for a heart-wrenching experience that will provoke tears and laughter. ” —Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen