Second Stage Theater has unveiled five initial productions for its upcoming 2019–2020 season. The Broadway lineup in The Hayes Theater includes a revival of Richard Greenberg's 2003 Tony-winning play Take Me Out, Bess Wohl's Grand Horizons, and Tracy Letts' Linda Vista.
Off-Broadway, 2ST will present The Underlying Chris by Will Eno and, in a co-production with WP Theater, Our Dead Dead Drug Lord by Alexis Scheer.
The 41st season will kick off September 11 with the world premiere of Our Dead Dead Drug Lord, co-presented with WP in the McGinn/Cazale Theater. In the new play, a gang of teenage girls gathers in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are they messing with the actual spirit of the infamous cartel kingpin? Or are they really just messing with each other? The world premiere will officially open September 24 with a director to be announced.
Also in September will be the Broadway premiere of Linda Vista by Steppenwolf member Letts and directed by fellow ensemble member Dexter Bullard. The new play, previously seen at Steppenwolf in Chicago and Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, follows Wheeler, a 50-year-old man whose marriage is over, his job is mundane, and the best years of his life appear to be behind him. A move from the cot in his ex-wife’s garage to his own apartment opens up new possibilities for love, sex, and redemption.
Pulitzer Prize and Tony winner Letts returns to 2ST following last summer's Mary Page Marlowe. Performances of Linda Vista will begin September 19 ahead of an October 10 opening.
Next up, in the company's Off-Broadway Tony Kiser Theater, will be the world premiere of Eno's play The Underlying Chris, a life-affirming and high-spirited look at how a person comes into one's identity, and how sometimes, it’s life’s tiniest moments that most profoundly change our lives. With a director to be announced, the production will begin Off-Broadway October 29 ahead of a November 21 opening.
In December, Wohl (Small Mouth Sounds) will make her Broadway debut with Grand Horizons, directed by Leigh Silverman. In the new play, an intimate look at the unpredictable and enduring nature of love, a couple retire in Grand Horizons after 50 years of marriage—only to find that one of them, Nancy, wants out. Previews will begin December 20 ahead of a January 23, 2020, opening.
Next spring, 2ST will revive Take Me Out on the Broadway stage, directed by Scott Ellis. Seen on Broadway in 2003, directed by Joe Mantello, the play tells the story of baseball star Darren Lemming, who is forced to contend with the challenges of being a gay person of color. Previews will begin March 31 ahead of an April 23 opening night.
Two additional off-Broadway productions, casting and creative teams, remain to be announced.
