A couple short experimental dramas who make an unexpected trip to Broadway this fall will close early, reflecting a challenging climate for new plays as the industry struggles to recover from the long pandemic closure.
“Is this a Room” and “Dana H.They will cease broadcasting on November 14. They were scheduled to close on January 16.
“We would have loved to have met our original deadline, but we recognize that we are in a challenging environment for live performance and are grateful to have had the opportunity to share this work,” Horchow and Matt Ross said in a statement Monday.
The games were co-capitalized up to $3.5 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That money will disappear.
Reviews were strong for both works. “Is This a Room,” a one-to-one reenactment of Reality Winner’s FBI interrogation, began pre-screenings on September 24 and premiered on October 11. The game was designed and directed by Tina Satter and stars Emily Davis.
“Dana H.”, in which an actress named Deirdre O’Connell lip-synced a series of audio interviews in which the playwright’s mother was abducted by a man her mother was consulting, premiered October 1st and premiered October 17th. It is directed by writer Lucas Hnath and the play by Les Waters.
The plays that premiered at the Lyceum Theater are the first victims of the uncertain climate on Broadway this fall. The industry is worried enough about its economic situation that it doesn’t report box office receipts – a break from decades of practice – so it’s hard to know how the shows are doing. The producers say a few major musicals and even some plays have performed well, but new plays that have long been a challenge on Broadway have struggled.