McQuail In Lead Role: 'Bad Jews' Highest Grossing Show In Long Wharf Theatre Stage II History
NEW HAVEN – Long Wharf Theatre has crowned a new box office champ during its 50th anniversary season. Bad Jews has supplanted Satchmo at the Waldorf as the highest grossing show in Stage II history.
The show, written by Joshua Harmon, directed by Oliver Butler, has become the highest grossing play since Stage II opened during the 1977-78 season. The play has brought in more single ticket sales than 2012-13 season production of Satchmo at the Waldorf, written by Terry Teachout, and starring John Douglas Thompson. Two of Brian Dennehy’s appearances at Long Wharf — Hughie in 2008-09 season, and Krapp’s Last Tape during the 2011-12 season — round out the top four.
In Bad Jews, Daphna Feygenbaum arrives at the funeral of her beloved grandfather thinking it’s obvious she will get the necklace her Poppy carried throughout the Holocaust. After all, she’s the one on the way to rabbinical school in Israel.
Her cousin Liam Haber appears with his non-Jewish girlfriend Melody and with a very different plan in mind, however.
In the wake of their grandfather’s death, the cousins — including Liam’s brother Jonah — get together to work out exactly what his legacy means in their own lives.
The creative team also includes Stephen Strawbridge (light design), Antje Ellermann (set design), Paul Carey (costume design), M.L. Dogg (sound design), Tim Acito (fight director), and Lindsey Turteltaub (production stage manager).
Newtown native Keilly McQuail is starring as Daphna in the production. Bad Jews represents her Long Wharf debut.
McQuail is a 2007 graduate of Newtown High School, and a 2011 graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, “by way of the Atlantic Theatre School,” according to the play’s notes.
Bad Jews also features Christy Escobar as Melody, Max Michael Miller as Jonah Haber, and Michael Steinmetz as Liam Haber.
Managing Director Joshua Borenstein said the company is “of course, excited about this play’s box office success.
“We are even more delighted about how much conversation this comedy has generated at our post-show discussions and throughout the community,” he added.
The Long Wharf production opened for previews on February 18 at Long Wharf Theatre, and celebrated its formal opening night on Wednesday, February 25. The play, on Long Wharf Stage II, was scheduled to continue its run until March 22.
Due to audience demand, the run has been extended through Sunday, March 29. A limited number of tickets are still available at www.longwharf.org and by calling 203-787-4282.
The theater is at 222 Sargent Drive in New Haven.