From Yocum Institute for Arts Education
The Yocum Institute for Arts Education Theater Department is proud to present a staged reading of Sally Wister, a new play by internationally acclaimed and award-winning playwright D.W. Gregory, on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 7 p.m. Set in Philadelphia in 1777 and inspired by true events, Sally Wister explores faith, courage, unexpected friendship, and the complexities of love during the American Revolution.
When a Quaker family flees Philadelphia to escape the British occupation, they find themselves sharing quarters with American officers. The Wisters are committed pacifists, but 16-year-old Sally soon finds herself captivated by a dashing young major. As Sally navigates a world increasingly at odds with her family’s beliefs, an unexpected friendship challenges her understanding of faith, duty, and courage. With shades of Jane Austen woven into its Revolutionary War setting, Sally Wister offers a compelling and intimate look at one young woman’s coming of age during a pivotal moment in American history.
“We’re so excited to bring Sally Wister to our community. After producing D.W. Gregory’s Radium Girls in 2025, I knew our students would connect with her work again,” said Andrea Hart, Theater Department Director at Yocum Institute for Arts Education. “Sally Wister centers a young woman whose firsthand account gives us a window into the American Revolution, a period when young women’s voices can be difficult to find in the historical record. Coming on the heels of the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and our production of 1776 this summer, it feels like the perfect moment to tell Sally’s story.”
Gregory is best known for Radium Girls, which has received more than 3,000 productions worldwide and was presented by Yocum Institute in 2025. She is currently developing a musical adaptation of Radium Girls with composer Steven M. Alper and lyricist Sarah Knapp, which will be workshopped at The Catholic University of America in December. Her other works include Memoirs of a Forgotten Man; The Yellow Stocking Play, also created with Alper and Knapp, which received awards for Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical at Create Theatre’s New Works Festival on Theatre Rowe; A Thing of Beauty, winner of the Southeaster Theatre Conference (SETC) Charles Getchell New Play Award; and Molumby’s Million, which was nominated for Philadelphia’s Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play.
Through its theater programming, Yocum Institute provides opportunities for performers, artists, and audiences to experience compelling stories and engage with the performing arts. The staged reading of Sally Wister continues Yocum’s commitment to supporting new theatrical works and connecting the community with artists whose work inspires, challenges, and entertains.
For tickets and additional information about Sally Wister and upcoming performances at Yocum Institute, visit yocuminstitute.org/theater, call 610-376-1576, or stop by Yocum Institute for Arts Education at 3000 Penn Ave., West Lawn.
About Yocum Institute for Arts Education
The Yocum Institute for Arts Education is a nonprofit community arts organization dedicated to enriching lives through arts education, performance, and cultural experiences. Serving the Berks County community for more than 90 years, Yocum offers programs in music, theater, dance, visual arts, and early childhood education for students of all ages and abilities.
