THE PEOPLE VERSUS LENNY BRUCE Off-Broadway to Host Post-Show Discussions

Performances begin tonight for the Cause Célèbre Productions world premiere of The People Versus Lenny Bruce, a play by Susan Charlotte, based on the legal case of legendary lawyer Martin Garbus at Theatre Row – Theatre Four. The production is scheduled to run through Sunday, June 28, 2026. 

The story of Lenny Bruce and his New York trial is more relevant now than ever. A heart-breaking and thought provoking story filled with humor, this theatrical adaptation is the story of comic Lenny Bruce and his lawyer Martin Garbus who tried to save his client from the system – and from himself.

Directed by Antony Marsellis, the cast for The People Versus Lenny Bruce is Johnny Anthony as Lenny Bruce, Timothy Doyle as Jules Feiffer, Dan Grimaldi as Herbert Ruhe, Ian Lithgow as Richard H. Kuh, Jonathan Spivey as Forrest Johnson, Stephen Schnetzer as Martin Garbus/Narrator, and Roberta Wallach as Dorothy Kilgallen. Lisa Lampanelli is Associate Producer. Michael J. Osgood, former Deputy Chief of the NYPD/Special Victim’s Unit, is Co-Producer.

At the conclusion of the trial, License Inspector Herbert Ruhe, the Prosecuter’s witness, said the following to Attorney Allen Schwartz: “We aimed for Bruce. We picked him out of all the performers. I know he was not obscene, yet in a way I feel he had to be convicted.” These words were spoken in 1964 but they could have easily been said in 2026. Jimmy Kimmel, Rahm Emanuel and The New York Times all referenced Lenny Bruce when speaking of how the first amendment was under attack. When Inspector Ruhe testified against Bruce, he knew Bruce was innocent. He not only rationalized his lies, he bragged about them!

Following selected performances, advocates of free speech will discuss the play and its relevance today, moderated by Susan Charlotte.

The current schedule is:

Lisa Lampanelli: Thursday, May 7; Friday, May 15; Saturday, May 23; Friday, May 29; Friday, June 5; Thursday, June 11; Friday, June 19; Saturday, June 27.
Martin Garbus: Wednesday, May 20
Michael J. Osgood: Thursday, June 11

Additional post-show discussions with Susan Herman (President Emeritus of the ACLU & Ruth Bader Ginsburg Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School), Steven Donziger (Environmental Lawyer & Justice Advocate), and others will be announced at a later date.

The People Versus Lenny Bruce was most recently presented as a staged reading at the Ethical Culture Society of New York, and has played to standing ovations in Los Angeles and on Cape Cod. The People Versus Lenny Bruce is part of a series called All The Courts A Stage, based on the legal cases of Martin Garbus. The two other plays Unlucky Gal/The Story of Jane Doe which deals with sexual abuse, and Last Chance Café which revolves around voter suppression, will be presented Off-Broadway this fall. The trilogy could not be more timely.

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