Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret

In this fizzing 1714 comedy, Susanna Centlivre untangles a glorious mess of stolen letters, cross-dressing, and women who refuse to obey the men who think they own them. Donna Isabella flees a forced marriage only to be attacked on the streets of London and dragged into a stranger's house. Meanwhile, Donna Violante faces a different cage: her father demands she become a nun against her will. What follows is a cascade of mistaken identities, servants who scheme better than their masters, and women who wield secrets like weapons. Centlivre was one of the few successful female playwrights of the Restoration, and this play crackles with the confidence of a woman who knew exactly how men would react to being outwitted. The title itself is a provocation: a woman keeps a secret? What a wonder. Jane Austen's family reportedly performed this play, which tells you everything about its enduring appeal: sharp, romantic, and wickedly smart about the cages society builds for women who dare to want different lives.