THE MOST SPECTACULARLY LAMENTABLE TRIAL OF MIZ MARTHA WASHINGTON

By James Ijames
Directed by Brett Ashley Robinson

March 17 – April 5, 2026

Tickets

A raucous & surreal reckoning with our founders’ legacy of slavery.

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Runtime: 92 mins with no intermission

MORE ABOUT MIZ MARTHA:
Behold the feverish Martha Washington, our first First Lady, on her deathbed, surrounded by the enslaved people poised to claim freedom the moment she dies (true story). In her final hours, she is confronted by a hallucinatory “trial” where she must face her past and the legacy of slavery in the United States. The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington by Pulitzer Prize-winning James Ijames (Fat Ham) is a spicy satire that explores issues of race, power, and historical memory. The Wilma brings this pertinent and dynamic production to life with deep sincerity, high-stakes clowning, and striking imagery under the direction of HotHouse Member Brett Ashley Robinson.

Content Information:
Suggested for ages 13+. This show contains strong language, depictions of sexual assault, and violence. It features fog and bright lights, with loud sounds (gunshots, confetti poppers, and a sustained loud sound). Please contact our box office at tickets@wilmatheater.org if you’d like more details.

Deep Dive Resources

Dramaturg, Brittany Onukwugha, suggests these resources to learn more about the play:

• Watch an interview with James Ijames about the play and the history behind it.
• Read an intro to Mount Vernon’s history of slavery.
• Read a letter from Abigail Adams referencing the will that would grant freedom to the enslaved people in the play. 
• Listen to an episode of the NPR podcast Code Switch called “Is Joy an Act of Resistance?”

Watch the Trailers

In The Press

• The Philadelphia Citizen: Taking the Stage that Trump Set, guest commentary by Co-Artistic Director Lindsay Smiling
• American Theatre Magazine: “James Ijames’s plays are integral to Philly’s theatre community and to the Wilma”
• 6ABC’s Coverage of Miz Martha as part of the James Ijames Citywide Pass
• Broad Street Review: Dominic Moore-Dunson taps into Philly’s energy for Miz Martha Washington
• KYW News Radio: ‘Miz Martha’ at the Wilma Theater examines America’s history of slavery through satire
• Billy Penn: Martha Washington faces ghosts of the enslaved on Philly stage

Season Sponsor

Honorary Producers
Joan and William Goldstein

Nonprofit Affiliates