Cult of Love by Leslye Headland opened at the Helen Hayes Theater December 12. Read what the critics had to say here. Centering on the four adult children of the Dahl family and their partners as they return home for a rocky holiday gathering, the play has an all-star cast featuring Zachary Quinto, Shailene Woodley, Barbie Ferreira, Mare Winningham, and more.
See photos from the opening night celebration below.
Wilson Cruz
Wilson Cruz
Rachel Prather
Rachel Prather
Billy Cohen
Billy Cohen
Vero Maynez
Vero Maynez
Peter Bradbury
Peter Bradbury
Billy Cohen, Peter Bradbury, Rachel Prather, Vero Maynez, and Luisa Sermol
Billy Cohen, Peter Bradbury, Rachel Prather, Vero Maynez, and Luisa Sermol
Luisa Sermol
Luisa Sermol
Jack DiFalco
Jack DiFalco
Alexandra Templer and Micah Stock
Alexandra Templer and Micah Stock
Maulik Pancholy
Maulik Pancholy
Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis
Caitlin O'Connell and Peter Friedman
Caitlin O'Connell and Peter Friedman
Reza Salazar
Reza Salazar
Celia Keenan-Bolger
Celia Keenan-Bolger
Daniella Kallmeyer
Daniella Kallmeyer
Leslye Headland
Leslye Headland
Kerry Bishé
Kerry Bishé
Blythe Danner
Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff
JoJo and Zelda Williams
JoJo and Zelda Williams
Bess Wohl
Bess Wohl
Hiram Delgado
Hiram Delgado
Lauren Patten
Lauren Patten
Jesse James Keitel
Jesse James Keitel
Shane Fleming and Elsie Fisher
Shane Fleming and Elsie Fisher
Juliana Canfield and Edmund Donovan
Juliana Canfield and Edmund Donovan
Heléne Yorke
Heléne Yorke
Sepideh Moafi
Sepideh Moafi
Hannah Greif and Michael Greif
Hannah Greif and Michael Greif
Carolyn McCormick and Byron Jennings
Carolyn McCormick and Byron Jennings
Liza Colón-Zayas and David Zayas
Liza Colón-Zayas and David Zayas
Natalie Gold
Natalie Gold
Arian Moayed
Arian Moayed
Natalie Gold and Arian Moayed
Natalie Gold and Arian Moayed
Jaya Harper and Graham Campbell
Jaya Harper and Graham Campbell
Michael Cerveris
Michael Cerveris
Bronwyn Newport and Todd Bradley
Bronwyn Newport and Todd Bradley
Adam Kantor
Adam Kantor
Michael R. Jackson
Michael R. Jackson
Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne
Micaela Diamond
Micaela Diamond
Jennifer Damiano
Jennifer Damiano
Michael Zegen
Michael Zegen
Michael Zegen and Jennifer Damiano
Donna Murphy
Donna Murphy
Henry Joost and Sofia Black D'Elia
Henry Joost and Sofia Black D'Elia
Lindsay Mendez and Katie Rose Clarke
Lindsay Mendez and Katie Rose Clarke
Gideon Glick and Sas Goldberg
Gideon Glick and Sas Goldberg
Cristin Milioti and Betty Gilpin
Cristin Milioti and Betty Gilpin
Noah Galvin and Ben Platt
Noah Galvin and Ben Platt
David Cromer
David Cromer
Tavi Gevinson
Tavi Gevinson
Emily Bergl
Emily Bergl
Eduardo Ramos
Eduardo Ramos
Chloë Sevigny
Chloë Sevigny
Chris Lowell
Chris Lowell
Christopher Sears
Christopher Sears
David Rasche
David Rasche
Mare Winningham
Mare Winningham
Mare Winningham and David Rasche
Molly Bernard
Molly Bernard
Rebecca Henderson
Rebecca Henderson
Barbie Ferreira
Roberta Colindrez
Roberta Colindrez
Shailene Woodley
Shailene Woodley
Zachary Quinto
Zachary Quinto
Company of Cult of Love
Company of Cult of Love
Company of Cult of Love
Company of Cult of Love
In interviews with Playbill, conducted while the play was still in previews, the cast admitted the play is slightly autobiographical—Headland based it on her own life and interactions with her family.
Says Rebecca Henderson, who plays Evie Dahl (who is based on Headland herself): "The family is a conservative Christian family. And Evie is a queer woman married to another woman." She then adds that "I am married to Leslye Headland and I am playing the Leslye Headland character in the play."
Though the show is based on one person's family, the cast also easily saw their own families too. "I think with the Dahl family, we can all relate to some part of it. There's someone that we can relate to with our family," says Ferreira, who found fame via HBO's Euphoria and is now making her Broadway debut with Cult of Love. See the cast discuss the play and their role in the family below.
The production stars David Rasche (Succession) as William "Bill" Dahl, Mare Winningham (Georgia) as Virginia "Ginny" Dahl, Molly Bernard (Younger) as Rachel Dahl, Roberta Colindrez (Fun Home) as Pippa Ferguson, Barbie Ferreira (Euphoria) as Loren Montgomery, Rebecca Henderson (Star Wars: Acolyte) as Evie Dahl, Christopher Lowell (Glow) as James Bennett, Zachary Quinto (The Boys in the Band) as Mark Dahl, Christopher Sears (The Harvest and Gently Down the Stream) as Johnny Dahl, and Emmy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominee Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies) as Diana Dahl Bennett.
Understudies Peter Bradbury, Billy Cohen, Vero Maynez, Rachel Prather, and Luisa Sermol round out the company. Casting is by Jim Carnahan and Liz Fraser.
Cult of Love features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Sophia Choi, lighting design by Heather Gilbert, and sound design by Darron L West. The music supervisor is Jacinth Greywoode. John C. Moore serves as fight captain. Gigi Buffington is the vocal coach.
Visit 2ST.com. To learn why Playbill thinks you should see Cult of Love, click here.
