Two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Emmy nominee Tessa Thompson are headed to Broadway. The actors will make their Main Stem debuts this spring in Lindsey Ferrentino’s new play “The Fear of 13.” Tony Award winner David Cromer will direct the production, set to begin previews on March 19 and open on April 15 at the James Earl Jones Theatre. The play is being produced by Seaview, Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions.
Based on the documentary of the same name, “The Fear of 13” tells the true story of Nick Yarris (Brody), who was sentenced to death in Pennsylvania for a crime he did not commit. In the story, Yarris — who spent 22 years on death row before being exonerated — is visited by a volunteer named Jackie (Thompson). Over the course of the play, their conversations challenge them both to consider the demands of justice and, according to a press release, “the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self- determination.”
Originally presented in 2024 at the Donmar Warehouse in London, Brody was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance. The drama itself received an Olivier nod as the Londoner Award for Best New Play.
Brody is known for his Academy Award-winning turns in “The Brutalist” and “The Pianist.” He was thrice Emmy-nominated, for performances in “Succession,” “Breakthrough” and “Houdini.”
Thompson earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in “Sylvie’s Love.” She was recently Golden Globe Award-nominated for her turn in “Hedda.”
Ferrentino made her Broadway writing debut as the book writer of the recent musical “The Queen of Versailles.” Her other plays include “Amy and the Orphans” and “This Flat Earth.”
The producers of “The Fear of 13” have also announced that they are partnering on the show with the Innocence Project, which has helped to free or exonerate more than 250 people since it began in 1992. Christina Swarns, who now serves as the program’s executive director, was one of Yarris’ attorneys.
An announcement of the full cast and creative team for “The Fear of 13” is forthcoming, as is more information on the show’s partnership with the Innocence Project.
The James Earl Jones Theatre is currently the home to another new play, “Liberation,” which is scheduled to conclude its limited run on Feb. 1.
