Photos: KAYAK By Jordan Hall Makes Waves At Theatre NOVA

Theatre NOVA, Ann Arbor’s resident nonprofit professional theatre specializing in new plays will present “Kayak” by Jordan Hall, running January 30 - February 22, 2026. Check out photos of the production.

Alone on a vast stretch of water, Annie Iversen recounts the chain of events that stranded her in her son’s old kayak. A doting suburban mother, Annie is blindsided when her son, Peter, falls in love with Julie, a passionate environmental activist. What begins as a series of tense—and frequently funny—family and ideological clashes becomes something far more dangerous, as Annie, desperate to protect her son from what she sees as a reckless path, fights to hold on—until the danger she feared finds her instead.

Last seen at Theatre NOVA in the Wilde Award-winning, “Lifespan of a Fact,” Diane Hill, is excited to play the tour de force role of Annie. She says: “Ann Arbor is a community that values dialogue, creativity, and thoughtful engagement with complex ideas. Kayak is the kind of story that feels at home here—intimate, curious, and deeply human. It speaks to a town that believes art can challenge us, deepen our understanding, and bring people together across differences.” 

Directed by Briana O'Neal, the cast features Diane Hill, Cooper Miller, and Grace Lawrence. The production team includes Elise Blochwitz (stage manager), Craig Hane (set designer), Sam Schikora (light designer), Micha Mallet (costume designer), Josie Herman (sound designer), Brady Jacot (assistant director), Eli Hubbel (assistant stage manager).

Director Briana O’Neal says: “A good play entertains us, but a great play invites us to examine our relationship to its themes and ask bigger questions. I hope audiences leave wanting to ask those questions—and to consider what they can do to make the world a little better.”  Producing Artistic Director Shelby Seeley adds: “‘Kayak’ embodies what Theatre NOVA does best: championing powerful new plays with artists who know how to make them soar. Jordan Hall’s writing is intimate and urgent, and this remarkable creative team is bringing it to life with clarity, care, and force. It’s one of my favorite plays, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

“Kayak” by Jordan Hall will run January 30 - February 22, 2026 at Theatre NOVA (410 W Huron St, Ann Arbor). Performances are Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. General admission tickets are $30, $25 for 65 and over, and $15 for students with student IDs at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.TheatreNOVA.org or in person one hour before each performance. Seating in the theater will begin 30 minutes before each performance. There is ample free parking and quick access to the city’s restaurants, bars, bakeries, and coffee shops. New patrons can find Theatre NOVA across Huron Street from Ann Arbor’s YMCA through a parking lot entrance on the north side of the street.