In an interview with Time Out New York, she said, "I'm retiring from theatre, so I thought, What play would you really, really like to do? This is what I came up with, so we're doing it… The kinds of roles I was being offered were just…I'd been there and done that, and I just didn't want to do that anymore. If I could do television and film just to keep the health insurance going, that would be great. But I don't know if that will happen."

Maxwell plays Galactia, a painter, in the piece by Howard Barker; she previously performed the role with Potomac Theatre Project in 2008 (also at Atlantic Stage 2, where it currently runs in rep with Judith: A Parting from the Body and Vinegar Tom through Aug. 9).

She added that she has been "lucky to have had a multifaceted life in the theatre," but says that at 58 years old, "it's a lot of work and a lot of responsibility. It's eight shows a week, and I've been disappointed in the kind of theatre that you can make a living doing."

She said that the decision is a "personal choice" and that she looks ahead to traveling in the future.

Maxwell made her Broadway debut as an understudy in the Cy Coleman-David Zippel musical City of Angels in 1989. She has been Tony-nominated for her performances in Follies, The Royal Family, Lend Me a Tenor, Coram Boy and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She is an Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award winner with numerous nominations for her countless performances on and Off-Broadway.

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