Betsey Reed--Friday Night

The Lawrenceville High School Drama Club will present the play “Voices from the Hanging” on Friday, May 23, 2025, at 7 p.m. in the LHS auditorium. Donations will be accepted at the door.  Both the script and the book, “The Hanging of Betsey Reed” will be available for sale.  

In 2018, Dann Norton was commissioned by the Lawrence County Historical Society to write a full-length play about Betsey Reed, who was charged with the murder of her husband. A jury composed entirely of men found her guilty of poisoning her husband. Consequently, she became the only woman ever hanged in Illinois.  

To mark Reed's 180th execution anniversary, Dann has created a shortened version of the play. This adaptation uses the original words but in a different format. It will include the exact testimonies of the three witnesses, her lawyer's weak defense, and the execution near the former LHS building by the Embarras River. Both versions raise questions about Reed’s guilt.  

The Historical Society WILL NOT have a program this month since it falls on Memorial Day. We encourage everyone to attend the LHS Drama Club's presentation by Dann Norton instead. The play explores human nature and our tendency to quickly condemn others.