HELLMAN v. McCARTHY is based on the greatest literary feud in modern American history. On January 24, 1980, Mary McCarthy, famed novelist, critic, and memoirist, appeared on The Dick CavettShow and declared that “every word [Lillian Hellman] writes is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the.’” Hellman went ballistic and sued McCarthy, Dick Cavett, Cavett’s production company, and PBS for libel. The lawsuit, which spanned more than four years, was the talk of the literary community. Dick Cavett played himself in the critically acclaimed world premiere at the Abingdon Theatre Company.