The Heidi Chronicles

Research the history of second-wave feminism in the United States. What was happening in the feminist movement during the decades of the play? How do these issues interact with the narrative and Heidi’s journey? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

One of the major criticisms of the play when it first opened was that Heidi isn’t a decisive or strong enough feminist voice and that she seems to value the men in her life more than the women. Do you agree or disagree with this criticism? Why? How does her final decision to adopt a child fit into her journey as a feminist? Use evidence from the text to illustrate your argument.

How does music function dramatically in the play? What do the song choices illustrate about the moments they’re in? Choose one song that you feel is significant to the play and analyze it in more depth within the context of the scene.

Research the paintings that Heidi mentions during her lectures and study them. Do you agree or disagree with Heidi’s interpretations? Why or why not?

Choose one of the portraits of women that Heidi teaches about in her classroom. If you consider The Heidi Chronicles to be a portrait of the title character, how is the painting different from and similar to the play’s portrait of Heidi? Why do you think the playwright chose this particular painting?

The play takes place in 1989, although it flashes back through the decades of Heidi’s development, beginning in 1965. Imagine that the play had one more scene, set sometime in the 1990s. Research the rise of third-wave feminism and write Heidi’s next scene. How does feminism shape the future you’ve created for her? How does your scene logically follow the prior action of the play?

How does the play address the AIDS crisis, and why do you think Wasserstein decided to discuss it in the way she did? What does it add to the narrative and the way Heidi is constructed as a character?

How would you characterize Susan and her role in the play and Heidi’s life. How does she function to help tell Heidi’s story? Trace her appearances throughout the text and chart the way she changes and influences Heidi.