Julianne Moore will star in Sarah Ruhl’s world-premiere play “Faydra” at Manhattan Theatre Club, with performances beginning February 2 and an official opening set for February 25 at New York City Center Stage I. The Oscar-winning actor has not appeared in New York theater in roughly 27 years, since her run at the Public Theater.
Key Takeaways
- Julianne Moore will star in Sarah Ruhl’s world-premiere play “Faydra” at Manhattan Theatre Club, with performances beginning February 2 and an official opening on February 25.
- The production will be staged at New York City Center Stage I and directed by Les Waters, who returns to Manhattan Theatre Club after three decades away.
- Julianne Moore has not appeared in New York theater in roughly 27 years, dating back to a run at the Public Theater, and made her Broadway debut in 2006 with “The Vertical Hour.”
- Manhattan Theatre Club’s season also includes David Hare’s “Montauk” on Broadway starring Laura Linney, plus productions featuring Denée Benton, Patina Miller, Lauren Ambrose, Danny Burstein, Micaela Diamond, Jessica Hecht, Will Pullen, and Jeremy Shamos.
- Further casting and creative team members for “Faydra” have not yet been announced, and a general ticket sale date is still pending.
The casting signals something bigger than one actor’s schedule. It shows a nonprofit Off-Broadway company using a brand-new script, rather than a familiar revival, to pull a major film star back onto a New York stage, and that bet says something about where high-profile talent now sees value in theater work outside the Broadway commercial machine.
Faydra Timeline Runs From February Previews to a Late-February Opening
Performances of “Faydra” begin February 2, with an official opening night on February 25 at New York City Center Stage I. The run is being staged by Manhattan Theatre Club, which mounts its Off-Broadway work there rather than in a traditional Broadway house.
Sarah Ruhl wrote the play as a reimagining of a Greek myth, centered on the character Faydra after an arrow shot by Aphrodite forces her into a consuming lust for her own soon-to-be stepson. Les Waters will direct the production, marking his return to Manhattan Theatre Club after three decades away from the company. Further casting and creative team members are still to be announced, which leaves the full scale of the production an open question for now.
What the Casting Means for Manhattan Theatre Club and Its Audience
Landing an actor with Julianne Moore’s screen resume, which includes “Still Alice,” “Far From Heaven,” “The Hours,” “The Kids Are All Right,” and “Boogie Nights,” gives Manhattan Theatre Club a marquee name attached to a script nobody has seen performed before. That’s a different kind of draw than casting a star in a known revival, since audiences are buying into Sarah Ruhl’s new material as much as the actor headlining it.
Manhattan Theatre Club’s Artistic Director Nicki Hunter framed the casting as proof of the company’s pipeline for developing original work, saying, “There’s nothing like watching a homegrown Manhattan Theatre Club commission become a magnet for talent.” She added that “Sarah Ruhl’s bold, funny, and devastating reimagining of this classic tale will draw the immensely gifted Julianne Moore back to the stage, and mark Les Waters’ return to MTC after three decades.” That statement doubles as a recruiting pitch to future playwrights and actors: work developed in-house at MTC can still land a star of Moore’s stature years later.
Why Moore’s 27-Year Absence From New York Stages Matters
Julianne Moore made her Broadway debut in 2006 with “The Vertical Hour,” but her New York stage credits before that stretch back to a run at the Public Theater roughly 27 years before this announcement. In between, her career has been built almost entirely on screen work, including an Oscar-winning turn in “Still Alice.”
A gap that long is unusual for an actor of her visibility, and it underscores how rarely working film stars carve out time for an Off-Broadway commitment with no guaranteed commercial run. Choosing a brand-new play by Sarah Ruhl, rather than a safer, previously staged work, adds to the sense that this is a deliberate creative choice rather than a routine career move.
How Faydra Fits Into a Broader Manhattan Theatre Club Season
“Faydra” arrives inside a Manhattan Theatre Club season that also includes Nick Payne’s “The Unbelievers” Off-Broadway with Lauren Ambrose, Jocelyn Bioh’s “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” featuring Denée Benton and Patina Miller, and a revival of Clifford Odets’ “Awake and Sing!” with Danny Burstein, Micaela Diamond, Jessica Hecht, Will Pullen, and Jeremy Shamos. The company is also producing the world premiere of David Hare’s “Montauk” on Broadway, starring Laura Linney, at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
| Production | Venue Type | Notable Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Faydra | Off-Broadway (City Center Stage I) | Julianne Moore |
| Montauk | Broadway (Samuel J. Friedman Theatre) | Laura Linney |
| Awake and Sing! | Broadway | Danny Burstein, Micaela Diamond, Jessica Hecht |
| School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play | Off-Broadway | Denée Benton, Patina Miller |
Staging Moore’s return Off-Broadway rather than on Broadway also keeps her outside the annual Tony Awards competition, since eligibility runs through Broadway productions only. Having Moore and Linney anchor separate Manhattan Theatre Club productions in the same season, one Off-Broadway and one Broadway, spreads the company’s star power across two venues instead of concentrating it in a single high-pressure commercial run.
What Remains Unannounced Before Faydra Opens
Manhattan Theatre Club has not yet released the rest of the cast or creative team beyond Sarah Ruhl as playwright and Les Waters as director. A date for general ticket sales also has not been set, with availability currently limited to MTC subscribers and patrons through ManhattanTheatreClub.com.
Those open questions mean the full shape of the production, from supporting cast to design choices, won’t be clear until closer to the February preview dates. What is already confirmed is enough to make this one of the more closely watched Off-Broadway openings of the season: a screen star with an Oscar and a nearly three-decade absence from New York stages, in a brand-new script from a produced-but-adventurous playwright, under a director marking his own long-delayed reunion with the company. That combination is why a single casting announcement carries weight well beyond the run of one play.
FAQs
When Does Faydra Begin Performances?
Performances of “Faydra” begin February 2, with an official opening night set for February 25 at New York City Center Stage I. The production is being staged Off-Broadway by Manhattan Theatre Club.
Who Wrote and Directs Faydra?
Sarah Ruhl wrote “Faydra” as a world premiere reimagining a Greek myth, and Les Waters is directing. Waters’ work on the production marks his return to Manhattan Theatre Club after three decades away from the company.
What Is Faydra About?
The play reimagines a Greek myth centered on the character Faydra, who is struck with an all-consuming lust for her own soon-to-be stepson after Aphrodite shoots an arrow of love. Further plot and casting details have not been released.
How Long Has It Been Since Julianne Moore Performed in New York Theater?
Julianne Moore has not appeared on a New York stage in roughly 27 years, dating back to work at the Public Theater. She made her Broadway debut in 2006 in “The Vertical Hour.”
Is Faydra Eligible for the Tony Awards?
No. The production is staged Off-Broadway at New York City Center, and Tony Award eligibility applies only to Broadway productions, which keeps “Faydra” outside that race.
What Other Shows Are Part of Manhattan Theatre Club’s Season?
The season includes Nick Payne’s “The Unbelievers” with Lauren Ambrose, Jocelyn Bioh’s “School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play” with Denée Benton and Patina Miller, a revival of “Awake and Sing!” with Danny Burstein, Micaela Diamond, and Jessica Hecht, and David Hare’s “Montauk” on Broadway starring Laura Linney.
When Do General Tickets Go on Sale for Faydra?
A date for general ticket sales has not yet been announced. Tickets are currently available only to Manhattan Theatre Club subscribers and patrons.
