Becky Shaw is a play written by Gina Gionfriddo. The play premiered at the Humana Festival of New American Plays, Kentucky, in 2008 and opened Off-Broadway in 2008. The play was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Plot The name of the play is a reference to Thackeray's title character Becky Sharp in his 1847–48 novel Vanity Fair. The play follows a disastrous blind date gone wrong between the titular character, Becky Shaw, and a man named Max. The date is set up by Max's long-time friend and one-time romantic partner Suzanna and her partner, Andrew, which leads to chaotic results.Collins-Hughes, Laura. "Funny vs. Likable? Funny Wins", The New York Times, April 6, 2026. Accessed May 22, 2026.
Productions The play had its world premiere at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 29, 2008. The play was commissioned by the Actors Theatre of Louisville after the success of Gionfriddo's last play, After Ashley, at the 2004 Humana Festival. Directed by Peter Dubois, the cast featured Annie Parisse.Jones, Kenneth. "Annie Parisse Is Gionfriddo's Becky Shaw at Humana Fest", Playbill, February 29, 2008 Charles Isherwood reviewed the play for The New York Times, 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."Isherwood, Charles. "New Plays Exploring Difficult Relations" The New York Times, April 1, 2008
After the play opened to critical acclaim at the Humana Festival, its Off-Broadway debut at Second Stage Theater's Tony Kiser Theater in the winter of 2008–09 was announced. 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. The cast featured Emily Bergl, Kelly Bishop, and Thomas Sadoski.Hernandez, Ernio. "Annie Parisse Is Becky Shaw Beginning Dec. 16 at Second Stage", Playbill, December 16, 2008 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.Gans, Andrew and Hernandez, Ernio. "'Becky Shaw', with Parisse, Extends Off-Broadway Run Through March", Playbill, January 9, 2009
Director Peter DuBois and Gionfriddo met at Brown University in the 1990s, and DuBois directed her thesis production (U.S. Drag) there; he has also directed her play Rapture, Blister, Burn.Hartigan, Patty. "Career vs. family in Rapture, Blister, Burn, The Boston Globe, May 25, 2013
Regional and international The Wilma Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania produced the play from December 30, 2009, to February 7, 2010, directed by Anne Kauffman."Press Kit" wilma theater.org, accessed August 28, 2015
The Australian premiere was produced by Echelon Productions at the Melbourne Theatre Company's Lawler Studio 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 play received its British premiere Off West End at the Almeida Theatre from January 13 (previews)/20 to March 5, 2011; with Barnes reprising Max, and Daisy Haggard as Becky, Anna Madeley as Suzanna.
The San Francisco Playhouse produced the play from January 24 to March 10, 2012. It was directed by Amy Glazer.
2026 Broadway production As part of Second Stage Theater's 2025–2026 season, Becky Shaw made its Broadway debut at the Hayes Theater with previews beginning on March 18, 2026, and regular performances beginning April 8, 2026. The production, directed by Trip Cullman, starred Madeline Brewer as Becky Shaw, Linda Emond as Susan, Lauren Patten as Suzanna, Alden Ehrenreich as Max and Patrick Ball as Andrew.
The production received positive reviews, with praise for the show's relevance and Ehrenreich and Emond's performances. The New York Times positively reviewed the play, noting it had "aged fittingly for where we find ourselves" with specific praise for Ehrenreich's "show-stopping" performance. Variety similarly praised the production, singling out Ehrenreich's performance as "astonishing", along with lauding Cullman's direction and Emond's performance. The production was nominated for Best Revival of a Play and Best Featured Actor in a Play (Ehrenreich) at the 79th Annual Tony Awards, with Ehrenreich being awarded his first Tony win.
Original cast and characters CharacterWorld premiere (2008)Off-Broadway (2009)Broadway (2026)Becky ShawAnnie ParisseMadeline BrewerSusan SlaterJanis DardarisKelly BishopLinda EmondSuzanna SlaterMia BarronEmily BerglLauren PattenMax GarrettDavid Wilson BarnesAlden EhrenreichAndrew PorterDavis DuffieldThomas SadoskiPatrick Ball
Awards and nominations 2009 Off-Broadway production Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.2009Pulitzer Prize for DramaGina GionfriddoOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding New Off-Broadway PlayJohn Gassner AwardGina GionfriddoLucille Lortel AwardOutstanding PlayOutstanding Lead Actress in a PlayAnnie ParisseOutstanding Featured Actor in a PlayThomas SadoskiDrama Desk AwardOutstanding Play
2026 Broadway revival Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.2026Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Revival of a Play Outstanding Featured Performance in a PlayAlden EhrenreichLinda EmondOutstanding Direction of a PlayTrip CullmanDrama League AwardsOutstanding Revival of a PlayOutstanding Direction of a PlayTrip CullmanDistinguished PerformanceAlden EhrenreichOuter Critics Circle AwardOutstanding Revival of a PlayOutstanding Direction of PlayTrip Cullman New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards Best Individual Performance Alden Ehrenreich Tony AwardsBest Revival of a Play Best Featured Actor in a Play Alden Ehrenreich Dorian AwardOutstanding Broadway Play RevivalOutstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway PlayAlden EhrenreichLinda Emond
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