Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

American Primitive

American Primitive is a play by William Gibson about the lives of John and Abigail Adams. Gibson used the correspondence of John and Abigail Adams to create a verse drama about the period of the American Revolution.

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
92 w
Citations
1
Source
American Primitive
Written byWilliam Gibson
SubjectJohn and Abigail Adams; American Revolution
GenreVerse drama
Premiere
Date1969
PlaceBerkshire Theatre Festival
Directed byFrank Langella

American Primitive is a play by William Gibson about the lives of John and Abigail Adams. Gibson used the correspondence of John and Abigail Adams to create a verse drama about the period of the American Revolution.

American Primitive debuted, unsuccessfully, at the Berkshire Theatre Festival in 1969. The production, directed by Frank Langella, starred Anne Bancroft as Abigail Adams.1

References

References

  1. Sommer, Elyse. "A CurtainUp Berkshire Review American Primitive (John and Abigail)". Curtain Up. Retrieved October 21, 2012.