The Originalist Is Coming to 59E59 Theaters
(© Tony Powell)
Following productions at Arena Stage, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, and an upcoming engagement at Court Theatre in the spring, John Strand's The Originalist, based on the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia, will come to New York with a run at 59E59 Theaters July 14-August 19, 2018.
Edward Gero will reprise his role as Justice Scalia, and the production will once again be directed by Arena Stage artistic director Molly Smith. The story is described as follows: "When a bright, liberal, Harvard Law School graduate embarks on a nerve-wracking clerkship with the conservative Justice, she discovers him to be both an infuriating sparring partner and an unexpected mentor. How will their relationship affect one of the most incendiary cases ever to reach the nation's highest court?"
The Originalist received its world premiere at Arena Stage in 2015, where it was extended twice, and was subsequently produced for the screen by Stage17, broadcast on PBS, and recorded by L.A. Theatre Works as a radio play. The play was commissioned as part of Power Plays, an initiative from Arena Stage to commission and develop 25 new plays over the course of the next 10 years, focused on stories of politics and power.
