''Becky Shaw'' is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

written by

Gina Gionfriddo Gina Gionfriddo is an American playwright and television writer. Her plays ''Becky Shaw'' and ''Rapture, Blister, Burn'' were finalists for the 2009 and 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, respectively. She has written for the television series ''Law & ...

. The play premiered at the Humana Festival in 2008 and opened

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

in 2008. The play was a finalist for the 2009

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

Productions

The play had its world premiere at the

Humana Festival of New American Plays Humana Festival of New American Plays was an internationally renowned festival which celebrated the contemporary American playwright. Produced annually in Louisville, Kentucky by Actors Theatre of Louisville, the festival showcased new theatrical ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

on February 29, 2008. The play was commissioned by the

Actors Theatre of Louisville Actors Theatre of Louisville is a non-profit performing arts theater located in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. Actors Theatre was founded in 1964 following the merging of two local companies, Actors, Inc. and Theatre Louisville, operated by Louis ...

after the success of Gionfriddo's last play, '' After Ashley'', at the 2004 Humana Festival. Directed by Peter Dubois, the cast featured

Annie Parisse Anne Marie Cancelmi (born July 31, 1975), known professionally as Annie Parisse, is an American actress. She portrayed Alexandra Borgia on the drama series ''Law & Order''. Parisse has also starred as Julia Snyder on the soap opera ''As the Wo ...

Charles Isherwood Charles Splaine Isherwood Jr. (born October 1964) is an American theater critic. Career A graduate of Stanford University, Isherwood wrote for '' Backstage West'' in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of '' Variety'', where he was promote ...

reviewed the play for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', writing: "The new play marks an impressive stride for a writer with a saw-toothed wit and a seductive interest in exploring the rewards and responsibilities of emotional interdependence...''Becky Shaw'' is a thoroughly enjoyable play, suspenseful, witty and infused with an unsettling sense of the potential for psychic disaster inherent in almost any close relationship." After the play opened to critical acclaim at the Humana Festival, it was soon announced that

Second Stage Theatre Second Stage Theater is a non-profit theater company that presents work by living American writers both on and off Broadway. It is based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and is affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1979 ...

would play host to its Off-Broadway debut in the winter of 2008–09. Performances began at Second Stage on December 16, 2008, in previews, officially opening on January 8, 2009. This production saw the return of director Peter DuBois along with original cast members Annie Parisse (as Becky Shaw) and

David Wilson Barnes David Wilson Barnes (born October 30, 1972) is an American actor. He has appeared in '' Capote'' (2005), '' The Company Men'' (2010), '' The Bourne Legacy'' (2012) and '' Bridge of Spies'' (2015). Barnes was born in San Diego, California. His ...

. The cast featured

Emily Bergl Emily Bergl (born Anne Emily Bergl;''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com 25 April 1975) is an English-born American actress. Bergl is known for her roles as Rachel Lang in the supernatural horror ...

Kelly Bishop Kelly Bishop (born Carole Jane Bishop; on February 28, 1944) is an American actress and dancer, best known for her roles as matriarch Emily Gilmore on the series ''Gilmore Girls'' and as Marjorie Houseman, the mother of Jennifer Grey's Frances " ...

, and

Thomas Sadoski Thomas Christian Sadoski (born July 1, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Don Keefer in the HBO series '' The Newsroom'' (2012–14) and as Matt Short in the CBS sitcom ''Life in Pieces'' (2015–19). Early life and e ...

. Kelly Bishop was cast as Susan, a woman with MS who hooks up with a man much younger than herself, and quite disreputable. Susan, a domineering woman, also has quite a dysfunctional relationship with her daughter Suzanna (Emily Bergl) in the play. Due to positive reception and strong box office numbers, performances were extended through March 15, 2009. Director Peter DuBois and Gionfriddo met at

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

in the 1990s, and DuBois directed her thesis production (''U.S. Drag'') there; he has also directed her play ''Rapture, Blister, Burn''.

Regional and international

The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania produced the play from December 30, 2009, to February 7, 2010, directed by

Anne Kauffman Anne Kauffman is an American director known primarily for her work on new plays, mainly in the New York area. She is a founding member of the theater group the Civilians.Grode, Eric"Meet the Directors"''New York Times'', January 31, 2013 She made ...

. The Australian premiere was produced by Echelon Productions at the MTC Lawler Studio in Melbourne opening on October 27, 2010. The production was directed by Indira Carmichael and starred Daniel Frederiksen, Amanda Levy, Alex Papps, Kate Atkinson and Judith Roberts. The

San Francisco Playhouse San Francisco Playhouse (formerly SF Playhouse) is a non-profit theater company in San Francisco, California, founded in 2003 by Bill English and Susi Damilano. The theater stages nine plays yearly, including Broadway plays, musicals, and world ...

produced the play from January 24 to March 10, 2012. It was directed by Amy Glazer. As part of

Second Stage Theater Second Stage Theater is a non-profit theater company that presents work by living American writers both on and off Broadway. It is based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, and is affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Founded in 1979 ...

's 2025–2026 season, ''Becky Shaw'' its

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

debut at the

Hayes Theater The Hayes Theater (formerly the Little Theatre, New York Times Hall, Winthrop Ames Theatre, and Helen Hayes Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 240 West 44th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. ...

with previews beginning on March 18, 2026, and regular performances beginning April 8, 2026.

Awards and nominations

In discussing the possibilities for the 2009

, ''Playbill'' wrote: "Another contender frequently mentioned for the 2009 Pulitzer is Gina Gionfriddo's ''Becky Shaw''... as praised as that work 'After Ashley''was, many critics considered ''Becky Shaw'' — about a quartet of emotionally damaged and dependent young people — to be her most mature play to date." ''Becky Shaw'' was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (won by ''

Ruined Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

''). Gina Gionfriddo won the 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award (John Gassner Award). The play received nominations for the

Lucille Lortel Award The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986. They are produced by the League of Off-Broadway Theatres ...

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town news ...

, and

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...

as Outstanding Play.

References

External links

* * {{webarchive , url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120807051447/http://crushable.com/entertainment/kelly-bishop-and-emily-bergl-in-becky-shaw/ , title=Kelly Bishop and Emily Bergl in ''Becky Shaw'' (preview photos) , date=mdy 2008 plays American plays Off-Broadway plays