Play 'Benevolent' Explores New York Reformatory Homes of 1917

New York, NY – Playwright Sophie McIntosh’s new work, Benevolent, tells the story of four young women residing in Inwood’s Benevolent Home, a reformatory for “fallen and friendless girls,” in 1917. The play, directed by Nina Goodheart, unfolds in a basement laundry room where the residents tirelessly scrub soiled linens.

The Characters and Their Stories

The four women—Abby (Livvy Marcus), Emma (Mia Fowler), Margaret (Chani Reese), and Sarah (Rachel Ravel)—were committed to the home for various reasons. Abby is a 17-year-old, while Emma is a Black sex worker. Margaret’s whiteness allowed her to work in more profitable brothels, and Sarah panhandled on Coney Island’s boardwalk.

Throughout the play, the women confront difficult truths about themselves and each other, navigating differences in age and experience. McIntosh and Goodheart cofounded Good Apples Collective, a theater incubator focused on stories about hierarchy, complicity, power, and abuse from queer and gender-marginalized storytellers. McIntosh emphasizes their commitment to creating high-quality art while treating collaborators with respect and fostering a supportive environment.

The Play's Origins and Research

McIntosh began writing Benevolent in 2024 as a thesis project. The play’s inspiration came from local historian Cole Thompson, who researches the Magdalen Benevolent Society (later Inwood House) and the House of Mercy in Inwood. These institutions operated from the late 1800s through the 1910s. McIntosh was intrigued by the era’s focus on social reform and the use of sociological data to categorize and label women.