PHOTO FLASH: Dominic Fumusa, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Pankow, Daphne Rubin-Vega at Passion Play Opening

The New York premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play, presented by Epic Theatre Ensemble at The Irondale Center, opened last night, May 12. Mark Wing-Davey has directed the production, which features Dominic Fumusa, who plays Kevin Peyton in the Showtime series Nurse Jackie.

The cast also includes Hale Appleman, Brendan Averett, Dominic Fumusa, Polly Noonan, Daniel Pearce, Alex Podulke, Keith Reddin, Godfrey L. Simmons Jr., T. Ryder Smith, Kate Turnbull, and Nicole Wiesner. The creative team includes Allen Moyer (scenic design), Gabriel Berry (costume design), David Weiner (lighting design), David Van Tieghem (sound design), and David Anzuelo (fight direction).

Among the opening night guests were Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Pankow, and Daphne Rubin-Vega.

Inspired by the historic festivals where everyday citizens came together to elevate their communities by staging the life and death of Christ, Passion Play transports audiences first to 16th century England, where Queen Elizabeth threatens to shut down a small town’s production; then to Nazi Germany, where Adolf Hitler’s arrival at the famous Oberammergau Passion Play influences the lives of its cast and finally to Spearfish, South Dakota in 1984, as a local production becomes a campaign stop for a famous actor-turned-President running for re-election.

For TheaterMania’s review of Passion Play, click here.

For more information, visit www.epictheatreensemble.org.