MRS. STERN WANDERS THE PRUSSIAN STATE LIBRARY Will Come to 59e59 This Summer
Performances will run September 12 through October 25 in Theater A.
59E59 Theaters has announced Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, presented by Luna-Stage/">Luna Stage and Richard Jordan Productions with Traverse Theatre, will join the Summer 2026 season. Written by Jenny Lyn Bader and directed by Ari Laura Kreith, the drama will run September 12 through October 25 in Theater A.
Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library returns to New York following two sold-out Off Broadway engagements, including its acclaimed 2024 run at 59E59 Theaters, before transferring to an extended engagement at WP Theater. It will return to 59E59 Theaters from its European premiere at the Traverse Theatre as part of the 2026 Edinburgh Fringe.
Set in 1933 Berlin, with martial law in effect and political activism having become a capital crime, the production follows a young Gestapo officer who arrests a philosophy graduate student, whose interrogation will endanger them both. Inspired by the real life arrest of Hannah Arendt, Jenny Lyn Bader's thrilling and timely new play illuminates the struggle for human connection and perseverance in even the darkest of times.
The production will reunite the original cast, including Ella Kaille, Brett Temple, Drew Hirschfield, and Daniel Adam Cantor. The creative team includes Scenic Designer Lauren Helpern, Lighting Designer Zachary Connell, Costume Designer Deborah Caney, and Sound Designer Greg Scalera.
“The response to Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library has been extraordinary from the very beginning,” said Val Day, Artistic Director of 59E59 Theaters. “Every performance of its original engagement sold out, and we're thrilled to welcome it back to a larger stage. I'm excited for both new and returning audiences to experience Jenny Lyn Bader's remarkable writing and the incredible work of this cast and creative team in a production that illuminates history while speaking powerfully to the present moment.”
Summer 2026 continues 59E59 Theaters' commitment to supporting artists through its innovative producing model, which eliminates weekly rent and allows companies to focus resources on their work. Supported by a $10 million gift from the Elysabeth Kleinhans Theatrical Foundation, the model enables a wider range of productions and voices to take the stage.
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