For one weekend only, the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society will present Bad Character: The Death of Sarah Maria Cornell. It’s a brand-new theatrical interpretation of one of the most sensational crimes our country has ever seen: the death of mill worker Sarah Maria Cornell and the subsequent 1883 murder trial of the Reverend Ephraim Avery.

Commissioned and produced by the Bristol Historical & Preservation Society and written and directed by Leigh Medeiros, the stageplay draws from the real 1833 transcripts of Avery’s sensational trial. For its inaugural opening, the play will be performed at the historic Bristol Statehouse Nov. 13-15.

In December, 1832, the body of Sarah Maria Cornell, a mill worker from Fall River, was found hanging from a haystack on a farm in Tiverton. A note was found in Cornell’s belongings that read: “If I should go missing, please enquire of the Reverend Ephraim K. Avery, he will know where I am gone.” After a multi-week manhunt, Avery was arrested and tried in Newport for Cornell’s murder.

Avery’s trial generated an unseen amount of public interest and took America by storm, creating a stage for conversations that echo today. The insightful script of Bad Character draws from the real transcripts from Avery’s trial to capture the sensational nature of the trial while also creatively restoring Sarah Maria’s voice back into the narrative. The play touches on issues of sexual violence, murder, suicide, and abortion that remain timely 194 years later. This production is performed by a range of stunning actors, including Beth Alianiello as Sarah Maria, Robert DaPonte as Defense Attorney Mason, and Daniel J. Holmes as Attorney General Greene, who capture the nuance and theatricality of this monumental event in history. A full cast list is available at bhpsri.org.

“The Ephraim Avery trial was the original ‘Trial of the Century,’” said Catherine Zipf, Executive Director of The Bristol Historical & Preservation Society. “We are excited to bring events that still resonate today to light in an engaging and exciting format.” Adds Assistant Director and BH&PS Program Coordinator Chelsea Johnston, “The play presents a very intimate experience that draws the audience directly into the story.” For writer/director Leigh Medeiros, restoring Sarah Maria’s voice to the conversation was key. “The murder and subsequent trial have been a topic of discussion for nearly two centuries,” she said. “There’s naturally been a lot of focus on Reverend Avery. I wanted Bad Character to center on Sarah Maria’s voice and give her back some agency.”

Leigh Medeiros is a new playwright but a seasoned writer. Her screenplays have won awards in national competitions, and she is a published Simon & Schuster author. She also works as a developmental editor, has taught writing in RISD’s Continuing Ed program, and founded the Linden Place Writers’ Residency program. The BH&PS is known for its unique style of engaging with historic material; Bad Character follows on their earlier “Brits Attack Bristol” reenactment in May, 2025 and their co-production of Gail Burton’s Truth: A Biofictional Choreopoem in June, 2026. Those interested in learning more about the history behind the story of Sarah Maria Cornell are invited to visit the jail portion of the BH&PS at 48 Court Street where, for a short time, Ephraim Avery was kept.

Content Warning: This performance contains discussions of sexual assault, murder, suicide, and abortion. Participants are encouraged to practice self care as they engage with the material.

Showtimes are Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14 at 3:30 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for General Admission and $30 for BH&PS members and can be purchased at through the BHPS website at bhpsri.org.