David Cromer directs a new play by The Queen of Versailles book writer Lindsey Ferrentino.
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Broadway
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January 13, 2026
Two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Brutalist) and Golden Globe nominee Tessa Thompson (Hedda) will make their Broadway debuts this spring in Lindsey Ferrentino‘s The Fear of 13, beginning performances March 19 at the James Earl Jones Theatre. Opening night is set for April 15.
The Fear of 13 is inspired by the true story of Nick Yarris, who spent 21 years on death row in Pennsylvania after being wrongfully convicted of rape and murder. Yarris became one of Pennsylvania’s first death row inmate to seek post-conviction DNA testing to prove his innocence and was eventually exonerated and released. Brody plays Nick, with Thompson as Jackie, a prison volunteer who becomes his confidant.
David Cromer will direct the play, which itself is based on David Singleton’s 2015 documentary The Fear of 13. Ferrentino’s stage adaptation, which also starred Brody but was helmed by Justin Martin, premiered at the Donmar Warehouse in 2024. This Olivier-nominated drama is her second Broadway production of the season, the first being the short-lived musical The Queen of Versailles.
Brody earned an Olivier nomination for his performance, ultimately losing to John Lithgow for Giant, a matchup that seems almost certain to be revived at this year’s Tonys.
Our critic at our UK sibling publication, WhatsOnStage, called The Fear of 13, “one of the best new plays of the year.”
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