Lincoln Center Theater's THE CITY OF CONVERSATION Begins Previews Tonight, 4/10

Previews begin tonight, Thursday, April 10, for the Lincoln Center Theater production of The City of Conversation, a new play by Anthony Giardina, directed by Doug Hughes, at the Mitzi E. Newhouse (150 West 65th Street). Opening night is Monday, May 5.

THE CITY OF CONVERSATION features John Aylward, Phillip James Brannon, Kristen Bush, Beth Dixon, Barbara Garrick, Jan Maxwell, Luke Niehaus, Kevin O'Rourke and Michael Simpson.

Henry James once described Washington D.C. as "the city of conversation." The City of Conversation tells the story of political hostess Hester Ferris (played by Jan Maxwell), a behind the scenes mover and shaker in the nation's capital, and of the political gains and personal losses that her choices inflict on her family over a period of 30 years, from the waning days of the Carter administration to the beginning of the Obama presidency.

THE CITY OF CONVERSATION has sets by John Lee Beatty, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Tyler Micoleau and original music and sound by Mark Bennett.

Anthony Giardina is a playwright and novelist. His plays, including Living at Home, An American Family, Scenes from La Vie de Boheme, The Beach, Black Forest and Custody of the Eye, have been produced at Playwrights Horizons and Manhattan Theatre Club in New York and regionally at Arena Stage, Seattle Repertory, Yale Repertory, Long Wharf Theatre and the Cleveland Playhouse. He is the author of five novels, including his most recentNorumbega Park and The Country of Marriage, a collection of stories.

Doug Hughes directed the LCT production of Richard Greenberg's The House in Town. He was most recently represented on Broadway with his critically acclaimed production of John Patrick Shanley's new play Outside Mullingarat Manhattan Theatre Club. His other recent New York credits include The Big Knife, An Enemy of the People, Born Yesterday, The Royal Family, Mauritius, Doubt (for which he won a Tony Award), Frozen and The Whipping Man.

This spring, Lincoln Center Theater is also producing Act One, a new play written and directed by James Lapine from the autobiography by Moss Hart, opening Thursday, April 17 in the Vivian Beaumont Theater. LCT3 is producing the New York premiere of Ayad Akhtar's new play The Who & The What, directed by Kimberly Senior, beginning previews Saturday, May 31 in the Claire Tow Theater.

THE CITY OF CONVERSATION will be performed Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm, with matineesWednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm. Please note there will be no matinee on Saturday, April 12.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Direction of a Play - Top 3

1. Joe Mantello - Death of a Salesman

20.1% of votes

2. Duncan MacMillan, Jeremy Herrin - Every Brilliant Thing

16.7% of votes

3. Whitney White - Liberation

9.7% of votes

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