Tom Noonan's What Happened Was, Ella Hickson's New Born Join Audible Theater, Together Season | Playbill
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Tom Noonan's What Happened Was, Ella Hickson's New Born Join Audible Theater, Together Season

Cecily Strong and Corey Stoll will star in Noonan's play, which got a film version in 1994.

March 11, 2026 By Logan Culwell-Block

Cecily Strong (Michaelah Reynolds)

Audible Theater and TOGETHER (Sonia Friedman and Hugh Jackman's theatrical partnership) have added two productions to the 2026 repertory slate of offerings. Tom Noonan's What Happened Was will perform at Off-Broadway's Minetta Lane Theatre April 14-June 14, and Ella Hickson's New Born will perform May 8-June 8 at the venue. Ian Rickson is directing both of the new titles.

The upcoming production will be the first major revival of Noonan's play, which got the big screen treatment in 1994 with Noonan himself starring. The revival will star Cecily Strong (SNL) opposite Corey Stoll (Appropriate), about two co-workers meeting for a first date in a one-bedroom NYC apartment.

New Born presents three monologues penned by Hickson, with performances from Marianna Gailus (Vanya), Jackman, and Sepideh Moafi (The Pitt).

Both productions will feature scenic design by Brett J Banakis and Christine Jones, costume design by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, and sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman. Casting is by Jim Carnahan. Alyssa K. Howard will serve as production stage manager for What Happened Was, and Merrick A.B. Williams will be New Born's production stage manager. ShowTown Theatricals is general managing.

The titles will play in repertory with the previously announced return engagement of Hannah Moscovitch's Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, which stars Ella Beatty and Jackman. Also directed by Rickson, the encore bow is set to perform March 17-April 30. Sexual Conduct of the Middle Classes has already been released as an Audible Original. What Happened Was and New Born will get similar releases, on a date to be announced.

“We're honored to celebrate Tom Noonan's memory by bringing his distinctly New York play back to the city," say Friedman and Audible Head of Creative Development Kate Navin in a joint statement. "Tom wrote with a fearless clarity about the fragile, intimate moments that reveal who we really are, capturing the tenderness of human connection with extraordinary specificity. Rounding out our 2026 season are three brilliant complimentary monologues by Ella Hickson, whose work we've long admired for the vivid characters and worlds she creates that feel deeply alive. Collaborating with TOGETHER co-founder Hugh Jackman, director Ian Rickson, and these incredible artists, we're presenting plays that feel particularly resonant at a moment when audiences are searching for connection and immediacy. Through our commitment to accessibility, we're thrilled to share these dynamic productions with audiences live at Audible's Minetta Lane Theatre and through global audio releases.”

Tickets are at AudibleTheater.com. As all Audible-TOGETHER co-productions, a quarter of the house at each performance is made available for $35 same-day sales via the TodayTix app.

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