Video: Nicholas Braun & Kara Young Talk Starring in GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES on TODAY
Gruesome Playground Injuries will begin performances off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on Friday, November 7 for a limited run through Sunday, December 28.
By: Josh Sharpe Nov. 06, 2025
Two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young and Succession star Nicholas Braun stopped by TODAY on Thursday to talk about their roles in the off-Broadway revival of the play Gruesome Playground Injuries.
The show follows two characters, Kayleen and Doug, whose lives continue to intersect over the course of 30 years at the most bizarre intervals, leading the two childhood friends to compare scars and the physical calamities that keep drawing them together.
Young explained that the opportunity to work with playwright Rajiv Joseph was a big draw for joining the production. "This is an iconic cult play in the ether of the theater and this is being directed by the incredible Neil Pepe, who is one of our theater legends. And to be able to work with [Nicholas Braun] has been quite the magical ride."
The production marks Braun's New York stage debut, which the performer admitted is very different from previous acting experiences on the screen. "I feel like the stamina that a theater actor has is next level. When you're shooting a movie or TV show, you come in and shoot a take for three minutes, and you're like, 'I feel good about that take...I'm gonna go chill for an hour and a half!' [and] doing this... an hour and a half to be on stage is a lot." Check out the full interview with the actors now.
Gruesome Playground Injuries will begin performances off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre on Friday, November 7 for a limited run through Sunday, December 28. The new production stars three-time Emmy Award nominee Nicholas Braun and two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young, and directed by Tony Award Nominee Neil Pepe.
