Written by Ruth and Augustus Goetz

Classic melodrama draped in elegance. The Heiress is a timeless tale of love, betrayal and revenge. With their 1946 romantic melodrama, Ruth and Augustus Goetz left an enduring theatrical legacy. The Heiress is a timeless and compelling story of loneliness, love, betrayal, revenge and redemption.

Set in New York’s elitist Washington Square district in 1850, The Heiress shows that, where love is concerned, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Catherine Sloper is an introverted, lonely woman. Her wealthy father, Dr. Austin Sloper is quick to point out his daughter lacks charm, social graces and beauty. When the dashing international playboy Morris Townsend begins courting Catherine, her father accuses him of being a gold-digger. Catherine’s Aunt Lavinia encourages the affair believing, or at least hoping, the young man is sincere.

The play is cleverly constructed to draw the audience into Catherine’s dilemma. Townsend could be the knight in shining armor who will rescue Catherine from a stifling, loveless home, or he could be the most cunning of wolves in the sleekest of sheep’s clothing.