World Premiere of ReCON$truXion Will Come to Alabama Shakespeare Festival in April
This new work performs on the Octagon Stage April 23 – May 3, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival will present the world premiere of ReCON$truXion by Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan. This new work performs on the Octagon Stage April 23 – May 3, directed by Steve H. Broadnax III.
ReCON$truXion explores one of the most consequential — and most misunderstood — periods in American history. The Civil War is over, and out of the ashes, a new America struggles to be born. John Lynch, a man born into slavery, challenges the broken promises of the Reconstruction Era and rises to become a United States Congressman and chair of the Republican National Convention.
The play is commissioned by Alabama Shakespeare Festival for its New Southern Canon. Playwright Robert Schenkkan has earned a Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award, WGA Award, and Humanitas Award, as well as three Emmy nominations. He has authored twenty plays, including All the Way, The Great Society, The Kentucky Cycle, Building the Wall, and Bob & Jean: A Love Story. His film and TV work includes Hacksaw Ridge, The Quiet American, The Pacific, and All the Way.
Schenkkan says, “The tragic story of how close America came to achieving the dream — the great promise of its founding, that all people are created equal, endowed with unalienable rights, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness — and how it was betrayed, is not well known.”
“There are many heroes here, but one stands out to me: John R. Lynch,” said Schenkkan. “Born enslaved on a cotton plantation, self-educated, Lynch was a once in a generation political talent and orator. All his life Lynch fought to make the American promise real.”
ASF Artistic Director, Quin Gresham said by engaging with the history of Reconstruction, the play raises urgent questions about power, democracy, and the unfinished work of American freedom.
“We are proud to partner with Robert Schenkkan in bringing this new work to the stage and in continuing ASF's dedication to stories that illuminate the many voices and histories of the South,” said Gresham.
The production joins 15 other new works as a recipient of the 2025 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. This award provides support for additional rehearsal time with the full creative team prior to the world premiere, with the aim of extending the life of the work beyond its first run.
“Each year, the Edgerton Foundation's support sustains the heartbeat of new play development,” said LaTeshia Ellerson, TCG's Co-Executive Director of National Engagement. “By giving playwrights, directors, and their collaborators more time to experiment and refine, these awards ensure that the most daring and transformative stories can take root and thrive beyond their premieres.”
Portraying John Lynch is Eden Marryshow, making his ASF debut. Marryshow's theatre credits include Ink (Broadway), Seven Guitars (Arena Stage), Amani (NBT/Rattlestick). Film and television credits include Nonnas, Archive 81, Long Bright River, and The Equalizer.
The cast includes Grant Chapman, Liam Craig, Brian Dykstra, Devin Kessler, Mark Light-Orr, Andrew Rein, Lazarus Simmons, William Oliver Watkins, and Matt Wolpe.
The production team includes Scenic Designer Robert Brill, Costume Designer Richard St. Clair, Lighting Designer Nic Vincent, Sound Designer Curtis Craig, Projections Designer Rasean Davonte Johnson, Projections Programmer Michael Salvatore Commendatore, Intimacy Choreographer Adrian Lee Bush, Dramaturg Tom Bryant, Stage Manager Lisa R. Stafford, Assistant Stage Manager Gabriella Walko, and Production Assistant El Hataway.
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