What Do Reviews Think of Tru Off-Broadway, Starring Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Truman Capote?

Rob Ashford directs the immersive production of Jay Presson Allen's play.

March 20, 2026 By Margaret Hall

The New York revival of Jay Presson Allen's play TRU, presented to an audience of only 99 theatregoers nightly, officially opened March 19, and the reviews are rolling in.

Starring Tony winner and five-time Emmy nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Take Me Out, Modern Family) as late writer Truman Capote, TRU began performances Off-Broadway March 6.

Directed by Tony winner Rob Ashford (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Frozen), the extended engagement will continue through May 3 in the Library of the House of the Redeemer, an Upper East Side mansion first owned by a great-granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Joining Ferguson is two-time Tony nominee Charlotte d'Amboise. Like the original Broadway staging, this production also features some pre-recorded voices.

The play, drawn entirely from Capote's own words, is set in December 1975 as the writer is alone in his New York apartment, reeling from a crisis that cost him the elite social circle he adored.

Read the reviews below.

New York Stage Review (Frank Scheck, David Finkle)

The New York Sun (Elysa Gardner)*

New York Theatre Guide (Gillian Russo)

The New York Times (Helen Shaw)*

The Wrap (Robert Hofler)*

*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.

Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

Tru—about the literary pioneer best known for In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany’s—debuted on Broadway in December 1989 at the Booth Theatre. Directed by the author, Robert Morse appeared in the title role and won the 1990 Tony for Best Actor in a Play.

In an earlier statement Ferguson said, "I have long been fascinated by Truman Capote—both the man and his writing—and it is the honor of my career to be entrusted with playing him in the first New York revival of Tru. From the moment Rob Ashford and I first discussed the idea, I envisioned an intimate, environmental experience. I can't wait for audiences to encounter this play up close in the uniquely intimate, historic House of the Redeemer."

The production has scenic decor and properties by Mike Harrison, lighting design by Emily Schmit, sound design by Christopher Darbassie, dialect coaching by Kate Wilson, associate direction by Stephen Sposito, and production stage management by Eloia Peterson.

Hudson Theatrical Associates serves as production supervisor with Jonathan Whitton and Christophe Desorbay of Seaview as general manager.

Get a 1st Look at Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Truman Capote in TRU Off-Broadway

Tru is produced by Seaview, OHenry Productions, Mickey Liddell & Pete Shilaimon, and Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra, in association with A Kid Named Beckett Productions, as well as Craig Balsam and Rebecca Gold Productions.

Visit TruPlayNYC.com.