Two dramas affected by the coronavirus pandemic—Tracy Letts' The Minutes and David Mamet's American Buffalo—have set new Broadway dates.
The Steppenwolf Theatre production of The Minutes, which was set to officially open March 15, played its final performance March 11 while still in previews. Directed by Anna D. Shapiro, the play will return to Broadway the week of March 1, 2021, and will officially open March 15, 2021, exactly one year after its originally planned opening date.
The play, which featured Ian Barford, Blair Brown, Cliff Chamberlain, K. Todd Freeman, Armie Hammer, playwright Letts, Danny McCarthy, Jessie Mueller, Sally Murphy, Austin Pendleton, and Jeff Still, takes place in a seemingly mundane city council meeting that illustrates American toxicity both historic and contemporary.
The revival of American Buffalo, starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell, and Darren Criss, was in rehearsal when Broadway was temporarily shuttered due to COVID-19. Originally set to begin performances March 24, the Neil Pepe-directed production will now begin the week of March 22, 2021, with an official opening April 14 at the Circle in the Square Theatre, one year after its originally scheduled opening date.
Mamet’s drama follows three petty criminals as they try to steal back a buffalo nickel after one of them realizes he sold it for much less than its true value.
In a statement the producers of The Minutes and American Buffalo said, “It is the intent to open these plays—both powerful, funny and relevant dissections of Americana—in the spring of 2021, on the exact dates they were scheduled to open in 2020. However, we will only do so knowing that there are safeguards in place that will encourage audiences to return to the theatre, and that our government will allow us to have gatherings of more than 500 people. We, the producing team, believe that a vaccine is essential as part of that process, and we are hopeful that progress will be made in that area to ensure that artists and theatregoers will return to support this vital element of our theatrical heritage: the American play.”
READ: Tony-Winning Director Anna D. Shapiro Talks Running the Country’s Largest Ensemble Theatre
The Minutes features scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Ana Kuzmanic, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, sound design and original music by André Pluess, hair and wig design by Tom Watson, choreography by Ty Defoe, dramaturgy by Edward Sobel, and casting by Caparelliotis Casting. The producing team is led by Jeffrey Richards, Rebecca Gold, Carl Moellenberg, Spencer Ross, Louise Gund with Jayne Baron Sherman, Elizabeth Armstrong, Blakeman Entertainment, HornosBerger, Across the River Productions, Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley/Leah Lane, Kathleen K. Johnson, Emily Dobbs, Robert Flicker, Jacob Soroken Porter, and The Shubert Organization.
The creative team for American Buffalo includes set designer Scott Pask, costume designer Dede Ayite, and lighting designer Tyler Micoleau with casting by Telsey + Company. The producing team is headed by Jeffrey Richards, Steve Traxler, and Stephanie P. McClelland with Greenleaf Productions, Spencer Ross, Gemini Theatrical, Ted Liebowitz/Cue to Cue Productions, Brian Moreland, Brad Blume, Caiola Productions, Patty Baker, Arthur Kern, Joanna Carson, Willette Klausner, Van Kaplan, Jeremiah J. Harris & Darren P. DeVerna, Ambassador Theatre Group, Steve and Jacob Levy, Diego Kolankowsky, Morwin Schmookler, Jacob Soroken Porter, and The Shubert Organization.
