What’s subsequent for Shari Redstone after the deal to promote her stake in Paramount? Producing a Broadway play.
Redstone is a co-producer on the Broadway play Job, written by Max Wolf Friedlich, which started previews on the Hayes Theater on July 15, a few week after the announcement of her personal drama-filled Paramount sale. The play itself is a piece drama, however the parallels might finish there, because the present is kicked off by a younger tech employee who barrels right into a therapist’s workplace brandishing a gun and calls for a remedy session.
The employee, Jane (performed by Sydney Lemmon) wants the therapist Loyd (performed by Peter Friedman) to clear her to return to work, in a job that entails coping with the darker sides of the web at an unnamed firm harking back to Meta, after she had a psychological breakdown. However, the play later reveals that much more could also be at stake within the session.
The play, directed by Michael Herwitz, started its life downtown on the SoHo Playhouse in fall 2023, earlier than shifting to the business Off-Broadway Connelly Theater within the winter after which to Broadway, the place it’s set to open on July 30.
Alex Levy, one of many play’s lead producers, alongside Hannah Getts, can also be the founding father of a communications agency, which counts Redstone as a consumer. Levy mentioned Redstone noticed the play on the Connelly Theater and known as him afterwards to specific a need to assist deliver it to Broadway.
Redstone is considered one of a number of co-producers who’ve put cash into the play — which is capitalized for as much as $3 million, in response to the manufacturing. Levy mentioned he has additionally requested her for some enter on the manufacturing.
“She has been an enormous supporter of the present. She clearly has quite a lot of experience in content material. So she’s been a part of the kitchen cupboard of those who I look to bounce concepts off of. And he or she’s additionally been fantastic in telling individuals concerning the present, encouraging them to see it,” Levy mentioned. “And clearly that community may be very highly effective.”
Sydney Lemmon and Peter Friedman star within the office drama Job.
A spokesperson for Redstone mentioned she is “thrilled to be supporting Job and excited concerning the sold-out previews.” That is her first Broadway producing credit score.
Levy additionally plans to collaborate with Redstone on further theater ventures to come back.
Within the play, know-how and social media are an ever-pervasive presence, with sound bites and viral clips typically interrupting Jane’s ideas as she works by the remedy session. In addition they butt in to the combative dialogue between Jane and Loyd, who differ on the advantages of know-how in each day life and debate the whole lot from gentrification to social justice.
Levy, who was one of many first traders within the Off-Broadway manufacturing of Job, mentioned he was drawn to the play due to the way in which it presents the trendy work ethos.
“It has quite a lot of insights into how we reside and work right this moment, and one of many issues that’s particular to me concerning the present is that, sure, it’s a psychological thriller. Sure, you’re on the sting of your seat, however there’s additionally little nuggets of perception that stick with you,” Levy mentioned.
The play often offered out Off-Broadway and was well-reviewed, which gave the producers the arrogance to maneuver ahead with the Broadway run.
Whereas the viewers demographics are broadening with the transfer to Broadway, the play notably resonated with youthful viewers members Off-Broadway, Getts says, which she attributes to the character of Jane and her need to search out objective in her work, in addition to the all-consuming penalties that may deliver.
“I consider this millennial generation-Gen Z technology and the way difficult that may really feel, as you’re coming of age, as you’re arising no matter trade or pipeline or path you’re on,” Getts mentioned.
Producers are attempting to capitalize on that momentum among the many youthful viewers members by a sequence of strikes, together with a partnership with Kaia Gerber’s e book membership. Gerber, who noticed the play Off-Broadway, additionally just lately hosted a talk-back after the Broadway present.
The manufacturing can also be providing a considerably unorthodox Broadway schedule for the 80-minute present this summer season – no Wednesday matinee and 5 p.m and eight:30 p.m. exhibits on Thursday, which is supposed to catch audiences earlier than their weekend journeys and likewise permit for a dinner reservation. (Getts notes that they’re following the identical schedule as Oh Mary!, one other Off-Broadway hit which just lately transferred to Broadway.)
Job is presently slated for a Broadway run by Sept. 29. There may be curiosity in future productions in London and regionally. Getts, who has a background in movie and tv, notes that the play already feels cinematic, which lends itself to the potential of a display screen adaptation.
The producer provides, “I really feel prefer it’s somewhat too early to say, however there’s undoubtedly curiosity.”
This story appeared within the July 31 situation of The Hollywood Reporter journal. Click here to subscribe.
