But the mastery of Hwang’s fable extends beyond its universal sympathy. Beneath the surface The Hen Who Dreamed taps into a timeless, restless existential quandary that speaks to the very heart of our modern alienation from nature and our instincts. Sprout longs to leave the degrading cycle of the repetitive work that sustains her in the chicken coop. The farm, we learn, exacts a cost for its creature comforts, and that price is the leveling of individual dreams. Once off the farm, Sprout has the opportunity to reach for her dreams, but that world doesn’t come with a safety net.