Succession‘s Nicholas Braun and two-time Tony winner Kara Young (Purpose, Purlie Victorious) will star in an Off Broadway revival of Rajiv Joseph’s Pulitzer Prize finalist Gruesome Playground Injuries this fall, producers announced today. Neil Pepe (American Buffalo) will direct.
The production begins previews at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan’s West Village on Friday, November 7, for a exclusive run through Sunday, December 28.
The full creative team and an official opening date will be announced later.
Here’s the synopsis: Over the course of 30 years, the lives of Kayleen (Young) and Doug (Braun) intersect at the most bizarre intervals, leading the two childhood friends to compare scars and the physical calamities that keep drawing them together.
“I have known and loved Rajiv Joseph’s work for years and am thrilled to be directing this seminal play,” said director Pepe. “And to have the opportunity to work with these two extraordinary actors, Kara Young and Nicholas Braun, is a gift.”
The revival will be produced by Seaview, Sue Wagner and John Johnson by Special Arrangement with the Lucille Lortel Theatre. In a joint statement, the producers said, “Off Broadway is the beating heart of New York and there is no more thrilling place in the world to present a play than the storied and historic Lucille Lortel Theater. It has been the honor of a lifetime to produce plays with and at The Lortel over the last two years, and we cannot wait for audiences to have the opportunity to revisit Rajiv Joesph’s staggering, transporting, timeless and healing work this fall on Christopher Street.”
Gruesome Playground Injuries had its world premiere in 2009 at Houston’s Alley Theatre. An Off Broadway production opened in 2011 at the Second Stage Theatre, starring Pablo Schreiber and Jennifer Carpenter.
Best known for his portrayal as “Cousin Greg” on Succession, Braun recently wrapped production on Ruben Ostlünd’s satire The Entertainment System is Down opposite Keanu Reeves (currently starring in Broadway’s Waiting For Godot), Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl. He also stars in the upcoming retailer MGM Studios’ Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie alongside Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson, as well as A24’s upcoming Famous, alongside Zac Efron and Phoebe Dynevor, with Jody Hill directing.
Young made history as the first Black performer to win two back-to-back Tony Awards and to be nominated four times in a row. She was most recently seen starring in Purpose on Broadway (winning a Tony), and previously starred on Broadway in Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch, for which she won the 2024 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play. Other Broadway credits include Clyde’s and Cost of Living.
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