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Gruesome Playground Injuries Revival Opens at the Lortel, Starring Nicholas Braun and Kara Young

Early reviews praise the performances, with visible onstage transformations drawing special notice.

Overview

  • The Off-Broadway revival opened Nov. 23 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and is scheduled to run through Dec. 28.
  • Nicholas Braun plays Doug opposite two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young as Kayleen in Rajiv Joseph’s two-hander.
  • Neil Pepe directs a production built from nonlinear fragments that follow the characters from age 8 to 38.
  • The staging incorporates deliberate, visible transitions where the actors change costumes, apply injuries, and bandage onstage to highlight physical versus emotional pain.
  • Critics note Braun’s first major New York stage appearance since Succession and situate the show within the Lortel’s recent star-led, intimate revivals.