Daniel Sunjata in the 2003 Broadway premiere of Take Me Out

Second Stage Theater announces 5 plays for 2019-2020 season, including Take Me Out

2ST reveals three new Broadway productions at the Hayes Theater and two Off-Broadway world premieres...

Tom Millward
Tom Millward

Second Stage Theater has now confirmed five new productions for its forthcoming 2019-2020 season, including three plays at its Broadway home of the Hayes Theater, alongside two Off-Broadway world premieres (at the Tony Kiser Theater and McGinn/Cazale Theater).

Kicking off the 2019-2020 Broadway season at the Hayes Theater will be the New York Premiere of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tracy LettsLinda Vista, beginning previews on September 19, 2019, ahead of an official opening on October 10. This Steppenwolf Theatre production is presented in association with Center Theatre Group and directed by Dexter Bullard.

Synopsis: "Linda Vista takes a brutally comedic look at Wheeler, a 50-year-old divorcee in the throes of a mid-life spiral. Just out of his ex-wife's garage and into a place of his own, Wheeler starts on a path toward self-discovery — navigating blind dates, old friends, and new love. Full of opinions, yet short on self-examination, Wheeler must reconcile the man he has become with the man he wants to be."

The Broadway season continues with Bess Wohl's Grand Horizons; a co-commission by Williamstown Theatre Festival which will be directed by Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman. Previews begin at the Hayes Theater on December 20, 2019, ahead of an official opening on January 23, 2020.

Synopsis: "Bill and Nancy have spent fifty full years as husband and wife. They practically breathe in unison, and can anticipate each other's every sigh, snore and sneeze. But just as they settle comfortably into their new home in Grand Horizons, the unthinkable happens: Nancy suddenly wants out. As their two adult sons struggle to cope with the shocking news, they are forced to question everything they assumed about the people they thought they knew best. By turns funny, shocking and painfully honest, Grand Horizons explores a family turned upside-down and takes an intimate look at the wild, unpredictable, and enduring nature of love."

The final Broadway production of the 2019-2020 season will be a revival of the 2003 Tony Award-winning "Best Play" Take Me Out, written by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award winner Richard Greenberg. Directed by 8-time Tony Award nominee Scott Ellis, previews begin at the Hayes Theater on March 31, 2020, ahead of an official opening on April 23.

Synopsis: "Take Me Out celebrates the personal and professional intricacies of America's favorite pastime. When Darren Lemming, the star center fielder for the Empires, comes out of the closet, the reception off the field reveals a barrage of long-held unspoken prejudices. Facing some hostile teammates and fraught friendships, Darren is forced to contend with the challenges of being a gay person of color within the confines of a classic American institution. As the Empires struggle to rally toward a championship season, the players and their fans begin to question tradition, their loyalties, and the price of victory."

Off-Broadway at the Tony Kiser Theater, 2ST presents the world premiere of The Underlying Chris, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Will Eno. Co-commissioned by Center Theatre Group, the production is expected to begin previews on October 29, 2019, ahead of an official opening on November 21.

Synopsis: "The Underlying Chris is a life-affirming and high-spirited look at how a person comes into their identity, and how sometimes it's life's tiniest moments that most profoundly change our lives. In these divided times, The Underlying Chris serves as a celebration of our differences, our individuality, and the many mysterious, difficult, and beautiful things we share simply by being alive."

And finally, uptown at the McGinn/Cazale Theater, Second Stage Theater and WP Theater present the world premiere comedy Our Dear Dead Drug Lord, by special arrangement with Benjamin Simpson and Joseph Longthorne. Written by Alexis Scheer, the co-production will run from September 11 to October 20, 2019, with an official opening on September 24.

Synopsis: "In this fierce and feverish world premiere comedy, a gang of teenage girls gathers in an abandoned treehouse to summon the ghost of Pablo Escobar. Are they messing with the actual spirit of the infamous cartel kingpin? Or are they really just messing with each other? A rollercoaster ride through the danger and damage of girlhood - the teenage wasteland has never been so much twisted fun."

Second Stage Theater's current world premiere musical Superhero, starring Kate Baldwin, Bryce PinkhamKyle McArthur, plays its final performance at the Tony Kiser Theater this Sunday, March 31, 2019.

(Photo by Joan Marcus)

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