New Jersey's McCarter Theatre Center has commissioned a musical version of the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind, itself adapted from Sylvia Nasar's 1998 book of the same name. The property is an unauthorized biography of Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, known for contributions to understanding of game theory, differential geometry, real algebraic geometry, and more.
To write the work, the company has tapped composer-lyricist Zoe Sarnak and playwright Sarah Treem. Sarnak comes to the project with a personal connection to Nash. Her family was friends with John and Alicia Nash, and her father, Peter Sarnak, appears in Nasar's book.
The project serves as the launch of McCarter's new works program, a multi-year initiative aimed at developing new musicals, comedies, and adaptations.
“A Beautiful Mind is an incredible true story, set right here in Princeton,” says McCarter Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen in a statement. “It’s the story of a community not letting someone fall through the cracks, and it speaks to the power of patience, compassion, and resilience—values we want to celebrate on our stages. I can’t imagine better storytellers for this project than the truly brilliant Zoe Sarnak and Sarah Treem.”
“We love developing new work at McCarter,” adds Director of Artistic Initiatives Julie Felise Dubiner. “We are so thrilled to be launching our new commissioning program, and it is exciting to have Zoe and Sarah’s trust. We look forward to making their dreams come true with this commission, dedicated time in our Emily Mann Lab, and our commitment to giving artists what they need to create their best work.”
The musical will be the first collaboration between Sarnak and Treem. Sarnak's past and currently developing musicals include The Lonely Few, Empire Records, Galileo, Particle Fever, and The Invisible Line. Treem co-created Showtime's The Affair, and has also written for House of Cards and In Treatment. Her stage works include When We Were Young and Unafraid, The How and The Way, and A Feminine Ending.
A development and production timeline has not been announced.
