Evan Alexander Smith (Back to the Future, Merrily We Roll Along) will be taking over the role of “Dr. Brenner” in the Broadway production of Stranger Things: The First Shadow for the final fourteen weeks of the run at the Marriott Marquis Theatre. He will begin performances this evening, September 29.

The current cast of Stranger Things: The First Shadow includes Justin Adams, Ben Ashcraft as “Alan Munson,” Rosie Benton as “Virginia Creel,” Janie Brookshire, Kelsey Anne Brown, Malcolm Callender, Ta’Rea Campbell as “Patty’s Mom,” Juan Carlos as “Bob Newby,” Lia Christina as “Alice Creel,” Ayana Cymone as “Patty Newby,” John Patrick Collins as “Lonnie Byers,” Robert T. Cunningham as “Charles Sinclair,” Taylor Sage Evans* as “Karen Childress,” Nya Garner, Shea Grant as “Joyce Maldonado,” Andrew Hovelson as “Principal Newby,” Rebecca Hurd, Thatcher Jacobs as “Walter Henderson,” Keller Kennedy, Ted Koch as “Chief Hopper,” Neil McCaffrey*, Sean Mikesh, Quinn Nehr as “Ted Wheeler,” Drew Redington*, Nick Rehberger as “Victor Creel,” Victor de Paula Rocha as “Henry Creel,” Kala Ross*, Zoe Sage as “Sue Anderson,” Evan Alexander Smith* as “Dr. Brenner,” Afra Sophia Tully as “Claudia Yount,” Maya West, Matthew Erick White as “James Hopper, Jr.,” and Francesca Yhlen as “Alice Creel.”

Since its debut at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, Stranger Things: The First Shadow has been smashing box office records. The global phenomenon was the most Tony Award-winning play of 2025, taking home 4 awards, including Best Scenic Design of a Play, Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Sound Design of a Play, and a Special Tony Award for Illusions and Technical Effects.

Stranger Things: The First Shadow recently extended for a final time and will complete its Broadway run on Sunday, January 3 2027. Nearly 1.8 million tickets have been sold across the West End and Broadway, with over 1,500 total performances.

This first-of-its-kind collaboration between theatre and television marked Netflix’s first foray into theatre, with the epic story and groundbreaking feats of technical design attracting many new theatre audiences.

Based on an original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne and Kate Trefry, and rooted in the mythology and world of the Netflix global phenomenon, Stranger Things: The First Shadow is a new play written by Kate Trefry, directed by Stephen Daldry and co-directed by Justin Martin.

About Evan Alexander Smith