The world premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Becky Nurse of Salem at Lincoln Center Theater has set new dates due to a COVID detection in the company that caused delays in the rehearsal process. The show will now begin previews November 8, followed by a December 4 opening night at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. The play was originally scheduled to begin October 27 prior to an official opening November 21.
Rebecca Taichman directs the contemporary dark comedy with 2022 Tony winner Deirdre O'Connell as Becky Nurse, a descendent of Rebecca Nurse, victim of the 1692 Salem witch trials. Becky, who works at the local witch museum, turns to spells, pills, and an old flame to reverse some of her own life's curses.
The cast also includes Tina Benko, Candy Buckley, Alicia Crowder, Thomas Jay Ryan, Julian Sanchez, and Bernard White.
Becky Nurse of Salem will have sets by Riccardo Hernández, costumes by Emily Rebholz, lighting by Barbara Samuels, sound by Palmer Hefferan, original compositions by Suzzy Roche, and projections by Tal Yarden. Caroline Englander is the stage manager.
Ruhl is also the playwright of How to Transcend a Happy Marriage; The Oldest Boy; In the Next Room, or the vibrator play (Pulitzer Prize finalist); The Clean House (Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize); For Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday; Stage Kiss; Dear Elizabeth; Passion Play, a cycle; Dead Man’s Cell Phone (Helen Hayes Award); Melancholy Play; Eurydice; Orlando; and Late: a cowboy song.
