Blindness, the socially distanced narrative by Tony winner Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) that debuted at London’s Donmar Warehouse in August, will be the first indoor theatrical production to open in New York City following the shutdown in March.

Adapted from Nobel laureate José Saramago’s novel and narrated by Olivier winner Juliet Stevenson, the production will open at Off-Broadway's Daryl Roth Theatre this fall pending the approval of public health protocols in accordance with current city and state guidelines.

Blindness is directed by Walter Meierjohann, with immersive binaural sound design by Ben and Max Ringham. Stevenson voices the Storyteller/Doctor’s Wife in this story of a world changed forever by an unimaginable global pandemic. The Daryl Roth Theatre will be transformed to accommodate seating six feet apart. Attendees will hear the narrative unfold around them through binaural headphone technology while surrounded by immersive lighting and atmospheric design.

“All of us are yearning for a sense of togetherness so dearly missed over these past many months,” said producer Daryl Roth in a statement. “We are grateful to be able to present this beautiful, stirring, and thoughtful work, and are very fortunate to have flexible space that allows a return to shared experiences in a safe and controlled way.”

Separate productions of the Stephens work will also be presented in the coming months at Washington, D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company and Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre.

An outline of health and safety protocols follows:

• All front-of-house staff will complete COVID compliance training.
• All visitors and staff will have their temperature taken upon arrival at the venue and will be required to wear masks at all times while inside the venue.
• Tickets will be sold to a limited number of attendees per showing with multiple showing times spaced throughout the day to allowing ample time for venue sanitization.
• All tickets will be sold in advance online and will be sold in pairs, enabling two people in a “social bubble” to attend and be seated together.
• Each two-seat “pod” will be socially distanced six feet away from other pods.
• The venue will open 10 minutes prior to each showing.
• Enhanced building ventilation technologies will bring more fresh outdoor air into the venue and disinfect re-circulated air.
• Headphones will be individually sanitized between each showing.