The Prison That Made America: Women’s House of Detention (1932-1974)

The Prison That Made America: Women’s House of Detention (1932-1974), a new play by Reginald Flood, is directed and developed by Alycia Bright Holland, in collaboration with CFT students from THE 474: Experimental Theatre, and designers: Kristen Morgan (scenic and projection), Anya Sokolvskya (costumes), Travis Houldcroft (sound); and graduating senior Zachery Beaumont (lighting).  

Step behind the walls of the historic Women’s House of Detention in Greenwich Village, New York, a neighborhood where Bohemian rebellion and Queer culture flourished. This gripping play traces the roots of America’s carceral institutions, exploring the journey from Women’s Court to confinement, and challenges us to confront the forgotten histories that shaped our present while asking the questions: Whose bodies do we stand on today? Where did Queer vision begin—and what does it mean to have power over your own life, your own identity, your own relationships?  

This drama, in an overall sense, explores the politics of difference in America through the historical prism, and antecedents, of the Women’s House of Detention—in a nation whose penchant for incarcerating difference, rather than celebrating it, has created our contemporary society. Through compelling storytelling, The Prison That Made America: Women’s House of Detention (1932-1974) examines how social movements, especially within the LGBTQ+ community, have reshaped our world, and continue to provide guidance and inspiration for the ongoing fight for justice and liberation, here and abroad.

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