Photos: Broadway-Bound 1776 Kicks Off Rehearsals!

American Repertory Theater at Harvard University announced today the full cast and creative team of its upcoming revival of 1776 directed by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus. Go inside the first day of rehearsals below!

The 1776 cast includes the following performers who identify as female, non-binary, and trans: Gisela Adisa (she/her) as Robert Livingston, delegate from New York, Nancy Anderson (she/her) as George Read, delegate from Delaware, Becca Ayers (she/they) as Col. Thomas McKean, delegate from Delaware, Tiffani Barbour (she/her) as the custodian, Andrew McNair, Allison Briner Dardenne (she/her) as Stephen Hopkins, delegate from Rhode Island, Allyson Kaye Daniel (she/her) as Abigail Adams / Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon, delegate from New Jersey, Elizabeth A. Davis (she/her) as Thomas Jefferson, delegate from Virginia, Mehry Eslaminia (she/her) as the secretary, Charles Thomson, Joanna Glushak (she/her) as John Dickinson, delegate from Pennsylvania, Shawna Hamic (she/her) as Richard Henry Lee, delegate from Virginia, Eryn LeCroy (she/her) as Martha Jefferson / Dr. Lyman Hall, delegate from Georgia, Crystal Lucas-Perry (she/her) as John Adams, delegate from Massachusetts, Liz Mikel (she/her) as John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, Patrena Murray (she/her) as Benjamin Franklin, delegate from Pennsylvania, Oneika Phillips (she/her) as Joseph Hewes, delegate from North Carolina, Lulu Picart (she/her) as Samuel Chase, delegate from Maryland, Sara Porkalob (she/they) as Edward Rutledge, delegate from South Carolina, Sushma Saha (pronoun inclusive) as Judge James Wilson, delegate from Pennsylvania, Brooke Simpson (she/her) as Roger Sherman, delegate from Connecticut, Salome Smith (she/her) as the Courier, Sav Souza (they/them) as Dr. Josiah Bartlett, delegate from New Hampshire, Grace Stockdale (she/her) as a Standby, Jill Vallery (she/her) as Caesar Rodney, delegate from Delaware, Imani Pearl Williams (she/her) as a Standby

Co-presented with Roundabout Theatre Company, the production begins performances at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA, on Tuesday, May 17; opens officially on Thursday, May 26; and plays through Sunday, July 24, 2022.

Following its premiere at A.R.T., 1776 will begin performances in September 2022 at Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre in New York City before embarking on a 16-city national tour in February 2023.

They knew they would make history, but not what history would make of them. Fed up with living under the tyranny of British rule, John Adams attempts to persuade his fellow members of the Continental Congress to vote in favor of American Independence and sign the Declaration. But how much is he willing to compromise in the pursuit of freedom? And who does that freedom belong to? Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus direct a new production of the Tony AwardⓇ-winning musical, reexamining this pivotal moment in American history with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.

1776 features music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. It is based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. The original production was directed by Peter Hunt and originally produced on the Broadway stage by Stuart Ostrow.

Tickets from $25 are available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/1776-Revival. Discounts are available to students and ticket-buyers under age 25, Blue Star families, EBT card holders, seniors, Harvard faculty and staff, and others. More information at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/PlanYourVisit.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

Members of the company of 1776

Members of the company of 1776

Sav Souza and Imani Pearl Williams

Salome Smith and Lulu Picart

Crystal Lucas-Perry, Jill Vallery, and Director/Choreographer Jeffrey L. Paige

Grace Stockdale and Eryn LeCroy

Director Diane Paulus and Sushma Saha

Production Stage Manager Alfredo Macias

Director Diane Paulus

The company of 1776

The company of 1776

The company of 1776

1776 Director/Choreographer Jeffrey L. Page and Director Diane Paulus

Shawna Hamic, Joanna Glushak, Imani Pearl Williams, Eryn LeCroy, and Sav Souza

Salome Smith
Director Diane Paulus and Patrena Murray

Shawna Hamic, Liz Mikel, and Lulu Picart

Director/Choreographer Jeffrey L. Paige

Jill Vallery and Allyson Kaye Daniel

Director/Choreographer Jeffrey L. Paige and incoming A.R.T. Executive Director Kelvin Dinkins, Jr.

Shawna Hamic