Sean Hayes to star in ‘The Unknown’ off Broadway

The Emmy and Tony Award-winning star of Will & Grace will return to the NYC stage in February, leading David Cale’s one-person thriller at Studio Seaview.

Summary

• Will & Grace’s Sean Hayes stars in the solo thriller The Unknown off Broadway from January 31 to April 12
• Hayes plays a writer with a mysterious stalker
• Hayes won a Tony Award for starring in Good Night Oscar on Broadway in 2023

Sean Hayes will star in the new play The Unknown off Broadway this spring, running at Studio Seaview from January 31 to April 12 and opening on February 12.

Hayes last took the NYC stage as Oscar Levant in Good Night, Oscar on Broadway in 2023, winning a Tony Award for his performance and later reprising the role in London’s West End. He is best known for playing Jack McFarland on Will & Grace, winning an Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards.

In The Unknown, a solo thriller by David Cale, Hayes stars as a writer who escapes to a remote cabin to work — but realizes he might not be alone, and it becomes unclear whether he’s writing a thriller or living one. The play is Cale’s final installment in a trio of solo thrillers directed by Leigh Silverman, preceded by Sandra (seen at Vineyard Theatre in 2022) and Harry Clarke (also at Vineyard in 2017, starring Billy Crudup).

The Unknown also continues a recent run of starry solo shows at Studio Seaview. The new Off-Broadway venue opened in 2025 with Angry Alan starring John Krasinski and is currently presenting Jesse Eisenberg in his own play, The Ziegfeld Files.

The Unknown also features scenic design by Studio Bent, costume design by Sarah Laux, lighting design by Cha See, sound design by Caroline Eng, and music by Isobel Waller-Bridge.

Get The Unknown tickets now.

Photo credit: Sean Hayes. (Photo courtesy of production)