Theater News

Broadway's Straight White Men Gets a Second New Dad

Stephen Payne has replaced Denis Arndt, who was to replace Tom Skerritt.

Stephen Payne will star in Straight White Men.
Stephen Payne will star in Straight White Men.
(© Tristan Fuge)

Actor Stephen Payne has assumed the role of Ed in the Broadway premiere of Young Jean Lee's Straight White Men.

Payne, originally the understudy, takes on the role following the departure of Denis Arndt, who has left the production due to creative differences. Arndt was to replace the originally announced Tom Skerritt, who left the company during rehearsals due to personal reasons.

Running at the Helen Hayes Theatre, Straight White Men stars Kate Bornstein, Josh Charles, Ty Defoe, Armie Hammer, and Paul Schneider.

In Straight White Men, "it's Christmas Eve, and Ed has gathered his three adult sons to celebrate with matching pajamas, trash-talking, and Chinese takeout. But when a question they can't answer interrupts their holiday cheer, they are forced to confront their own identities." The production is directed by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro.