Tom Hanks Heads to Off-Broadway Spotlight in ’This World of Tomorrow’
My name is Avery Sinclair, and I’m braced for this. Can’t wait to see how this turns out.
Tom Hanks is trading in the big screen for a petite stage at the Atlantic Theater Company, marking what People Magazine calls his first bona fide off-Broadway appearance. Deadline reports that the Oscar-winning actor will take part in a staged reading of Kenneth Lonergan’s This World of Tomorrow, kicking off at the historic Elizabeth Street Theater in New York City. The production officially opens October 30, with tickets going on sale September 15.
If you’re picturing a full-blown Broadway spectacle, think again. This is a minimalist reading directed by Les Waters, known for his stripped-down approach and emphasis on the text. Lonergan’s play premiered in London in 2003 and earned praise for its sharp dialogue and existential questions. Now it gets dusted off for Hanks, who will read the role of Eli opposite a small ensemble cast of seasoned stage actors.
It’s hard not to raise an eyebrow at Hanks’ sudden leap into theater territory. After all, his resume boasts decades of box office titans from Forrest Gump to Sully. The man has shrugged at shoot-’em-up sci-fi one moment and teared up as a stranded astronaut the next. Yet somehow, a plain script on a bare stage is the thing that’ll truly test him. Variety notes that while many film stars flirt with theater, few commit to the rigors of live performance.
Tickets start at a wallet-friendly $75, a far cry from typical Broadway prices. The box office opens online at noon Eastern on September 15, with a limited two-week run through November 12. Fans can opt for premium seating at $120, which includes a post-show talk back with the cast. Atlantic Theater Company’s website promises an intimate experience for no more than 75 patrons per performance.
Critics will be watching closely, and cynics will be waiting for the slip-up. After all, a reading isn’t the same as a fully staged drama, and Hanks will have script in hand. Yet there’s something refreshingly down-to-earth about this setup – zero set pieces, no elaborate costumes, just raw lines floating in midair. If nothing else, it’s a reminder that even Hollywood’s biggest names can have stage fright.
Context matters. Lonergan’s work often wrestles with conflict between faith and morality, themes that fit nicely into Hanks’ wheelhouse of blue-collar virtues and earnest humanity. Seeing him navigate Lonergan’s tight-knit family dynamics in such a confined environment could be as compelling as any CGI-laden epic.
So there you have it: Tom Hanks shifting gears to wed his star power with off-Broadway intimacy. Expect lines you’ve never heard him speak on screen, delivered in a theater that seats fewer people than your average movie multiplex. Spoiler alert: no one will throw popcorn at him here.
That’s today’s dose of reality. You’re welcome.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, Deadline, Atlantic Theater Company
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
