HIGH RISK WARD by Jamie Wax to Get NYC Reading at The Hanover Theatre
Two-time Tony nominee Johanna Day leads the cast of the new play, directed by Livy Scanlon.
Alan Seiffert, President and CEO of The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, has announced that the company will present a 29-hour staged reading in New York City of High Risk Ward, the new play by Jamie Wax (Call Me Izzy) directed by Livy Scanlon (Artistic Director of The Hanover Theatre Repertory), on June 10 and June 11, 2026. The presentations are by invite only.
The reading will feature two-time Tony Award nominee Johanna Day (Call Me Izzy, Sweat).
Set in 1963, High Risk Ward follows three expectant mothers whose pregnancies are deemed “high risk” and two overworked nurses in the maternity wing of a newly integrated Louisiana hospital. As the nation reels from John F. Kennedy's assassination and the hospital's orderlies unionize and strike, these five very different women are thrown into an intimate pressure cooker. Facing fear, uncertainty, and a world in rapid transition, they lean on one another's humor, heart, and resilience, forming bonds and sharing moments that will change their lives forever.
This staged reading in New York City follows two successful initial readings of High Risk Ward at The Hanover Theatre Repertory (THT Rep) this past March in Worcester, MA, that were the culmination of Jamie Wax serving as the inaugural Playwright-in-Residence at THT Rep. These readings also featured Johanna Day, who co-starred with Wax in THT Rep's production of Doubt: A Parable.
The General Manager is LDK Productions.
About Jamie Wax
Jamie Wax (Playwright) made his Broadway debut as a playwright this season with Call Me Izzy, now nominated for the John Gassner Award for new American play by the 2026 Outer Critics Circle, starring Jean Smart. He began his diverse career by touring as a stand-up comic in his teens. He went on to perform his acclaimed solo shows throughout the country. With composer Paul Taranto he created the musical Evangeline, seen nationally on PBS. They received an NEA grant to create Passages, which also became an award-winning special. Acting roles include Puck for director Barry Kyle of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Charles Thomas in Wine Lovers in New York and tour, Toy in Guns for the Mark Taper Forum, and creative consulting and acting in Soul Doctor at NY Theatre Workshop. An Emmy-winning journalist, he has been a contributing correspondent for CBS News for over a decade. He and his family live in New York and New Orleans.
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