Machinal: how an execution gripped America and sparked a Broadway sensation
When Rebecca Hall read it she couldn't breathe. After Fiona Shaw played the role she got letters full of loneliness. This is the true story behind Sophie Treadwell's trailblazing playIn 1927, Ruth Snyder dominated America's headlines. Accused of murdering her husband, she became the first woman in New York state to die in the electric chair. The press slavered for stories about her; photographer Tom Howard even smugg…