Arena Stage’s 2015 production of The Originalist, starring Edward Gero as the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, will air on THIRTEEN—the PBS station covering the New York area—in March. The Washington, D.C., staging was filmed for the station’s Theater Close-Up series, which captures regional and Off-Broadway presentations.
The Molly Smith-helmed production will air March 13 at 9 PM, with an encore presentation set for March 19 at 3:40 AM. It will also air on WLIW21—New York’s secondary PBS station—March 26 at 10 PM.
The production is also set to begin performances April 11 at the Pasadena Playhouse.
John Strand’s The Originalist follows the frustrating relationship between Scalia and his liberal, Harvard-educated clerk, Cat (Kerry Warren). Their ideological differences lead to both incessant sparring and an unexpected mentorship. Their dynamic is further complicated by Brad (Harlan Work), a fellow clerk on Scalia’s staff.
Gero is a four-time Helen Hayes Award winner; his D.C. stage credits include Red, Sweeney Todd, The Chosen, and A Christmas Carol. He also took on the role of Scalia in Asolo Rep Theatre's production, which concludes its run March 7; the production will return to Arena Stage with Gero in the 2017–18 season.
Theater Close-Up’s previous broadcasts include The New Group’s Rasheeda Speaking and Buried Child, Mint Theater’s Fashions for Men, and Westport Country Playhouse’s Buyer & Cellar.
The Originalist was produced for the screen by Stage17 and was directed for television by Diana Basmajian.
