Erdman to Collaborate with Majestic Team to Research, Develop and Write Original Play Exploring Famed 18th Century Western Massachusetts Uprising
West Springfield, MA (10/25/26) – West Springfield’s Majestic Theater has announced that playwright Harley Erdman has been selected as the recipient of the Majestic Theater’s Shays’ Rebellion Play Commission, made possible through support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Over the next year, Harley will work closely with a team of creative principals at the Majestic to research, develop, and write an original new play exploring Shays’ Rebellion, a consequential event in the nation’s founding that is far less well known than its historical significance warrants. As part of the process, the Majestic will share public readings and other opportunities for the community to engage with the work as it takes shape.
According to Majestic Producing Director Sue Dziura, “We look forward to sharing the journey and ultimately premiering a new work that celebrates a pivotal chapter in the history of West Springfield, the Pioneer Valley, and the nation.”
Shays’ Rebellion (1786–1787) was an uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts, centered around towns including Springfield, Northampton, and Great Barrington. Led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, the rebellion was sparked by high taxes, mounting debt, and aggressive court actions that resulted in farmers losing their land and being imprisoned for unpaid debts.
Erdman was chosen through an extensive review process involving members of the selection committee whose accomplishments span playwriting, directing, dramaturgy, scholarship, and new-play development. The committee reviewed 37 submissions, from playwrights from New England, as well as proposals from artists across the country. Together, they narrowed the field to a top ten and then a final three. Following interviews with those finalists, Harley was selected for his compelling vision for the project, his deep connection to Western Massachusetts history, and his collaborative approach to developing new work.
A professor of theater at UMass Amherst, Harley Erdman is an award-winning dramaturg, playwright, translator, and scholar. His work includes original plays, musicals, and opera librettos, many of which draw inspiration from local history and explore the lives of people often overlooked by traditional historical narratives. He is the librettist of The Scarlet Professor and The Garden of Martyrs, and his play Nobody’s Girl was commissioned for the reopening of Northampton’s Academy of Music. A noted translator and theater historian, Harley has received national recognition for both his scholarship and creative work, including honors for his translations of classic Spanish plays and his contributions to new theater-making.
The project is made possible through support from the National Endowment for the Arts and through matching contributions from the Majestic Theater and its patrons, whose investment in the arts helps make the new work possible.