Exclusive: Laura Linney Wants You To Do Community Theater

Laura Linney knows firsthand the staying power of live theater. Though her acting prowess has led to award-winning performances onscreen, it was attending a performance of Broadway's Pippin that would open up an entire world of possibilities as a child.

"I was very, very young, and it was the first time that there was ever a television commercial for a Broadway show," Linney remembers during an interview with BroadwayWorld. "I saw that commercial, and I went to my mother and I begged her to take me. It was considered racy at the time, and so she hemmed and hawed, and then for Christmas, I got, in my stocking, a ticket to Pippin. I was so small that I couldn't sit down in the seat or else I wouldn't see. So I sat on top of the seat."

Even now, years later, that theatergoing experience remains present in Linney's artistry. "There are songs in that show that are deep inside my bones... I did a reading with John Rubenstein, and I was able to thank him and just say, 'You have no idea what you did for me as a small child.' I mean, those moments when you are electrified and realigned by seeing a piece of theater; it never ever leaves you. So Pippin is seminal in my life."

This Sunday, the curtain will rise on American Classic, a new comedy series set in a small-town theater where these tangible benefits of live storytelling are on full display. The show is led by stage royalty: three-time Tony winner Kevin Kline is Richard Bean, a prominent Broadway star who returns to his quaint hometown after the unexpected death of his mother. It was there that Richard got his start at his family-owned Millersburg Festival Theater, which, like Linney's Pippin experience, unwrapped an artistic world.

"We all know [theater] intimately and we all have deep personal relationships, not only to each other, but to our own individual sense of being in the theater and what that means to us... and how important it is to share it with people," shares Linney of the creative team, which is led by director Michael Hoffman and Tony Award-winning writer Bob Martin.

In the series, Linney plays Kristen, the ex-partner of Richard — both romantically and artistically — now married to his chef brother (Jon Tenney). Due to financial difficulties, the couple has been forced to rebrand their beloved family theater to *gasp* a dinner theater. In an attempt to restore it to its former glory, Richard takes it upon himself to bring the town together with an ambitious production of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, directed by and starring himself.

Rather than create a parody or overly sentimental look at the medium of theater, American Classic shines a spotlight on the very real benefits of "putting it together." How collaboration, community, and art can change you for the better, regardless of size or status. 

“I really bristle when people have this sort of patronizing tone when they say the words ‘community theater.' I find that really offensive because it is incredibly important and essential to community," Linney says.

"I don't care if you're an electrician, if you're a mailman, if you are a politician, if you are an architect, being involved in the arts in one form or another will make everything in your life better... It's some of the best of humanity, and I just wish everyone would [do it]. I think the arts have been co-opted a little bit and are seen as being a little out of reach for most people. And it should absolutely be the opposite."

Among the other theatrical talent in front of the camera are Tony Award-winners Len Cariou and Jane Alexander, Tony Shalhoub, Aaron Tveit, and Stephen Spinella, along with Tony nominee Jessica Hecht, Joseph Morales and more. 

Like Richard Bean, Linney has also worked as a director herself, going behind the camera for episodes of Ozark and Black Rabbit. Unlike Richard, however, it required a bit of a nudge from her Ozark co-star.

"Jason Bateman is completely responsible for pushing me in that direction, and I will forever be grateful to him for really making me step outside of my comfort zone. You learn that you know more than you think you do, and you can talk 'actor.' A lot of directors can't talk 'actor,'" she admits. "What a privilege to be able to open a whole other area of my brain that hadn't been open before. And I hope that it makes me a better actress."

Despite numerous Broadway productions and two Drama Desk Awards under her belt, Linney remains unsure if she would bring her directorial skills to the stage- though she hasn't ruled it out completely. "I always hesitate. I always don't know if I feel like I'd be able to do the job at a standard that I would want it to be done at. But I'll certainly never say never."

As for American Classic, Linney brought her love of theater to the series as an executive producer, and hopes that spirit will resonate with viewers​​. "It's a very kind, loving show. There's not a whole lot of that right now, and there's something really delectable about it," she admits. "And just to be able to watch Kevin Kline do what he does is a treat for anyone, regardless of what profession they're in."

American Classic premieres with the first two episodes on Sunday, March 1, 2026 on MGM+.

Photo Credit: David Giesbrecht/MGM+