Kathleen Chalfant and Ellen McLaughlin Will Lead PEN PALS at DR2

Following its acclaimed Off-Broadway premiere, producer Lisa Dozier Shacket has announced the return of Pen Pals this summer at the DR2 Theatre for a strictly limited engagement. Written by Michael Griffo and directed by Suzanne Barabas, Pen Pals features a dazzling rotating cast and celebrates the enduring power of friendship through handwritten letters exchanged over five decades.

For the next tw weeks, Kathleen Chalfant and Ellen McLaughlin will take the center stage as Bernie from NJ and the Brit Mags.  This will be the first cast to swap roles midway through the run. 

Inspired by a true story, Pen Pals invites audiences into the lives of Bernie and Mags—two women whose bond, forged in adolescence, endures for decades without them ever meeting in person. A story of connection, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between friends, Pen Pals is as poignant as it is powerful.

Kathleen Chalfant, Tony and Drama Desk nominee for Angels in America, Obie and Lortel winner for Wit. Broadway credits include Racing Demon and Dance With Me. Off-Broadway: A Walk in the Woods, Talking Heads, Nine Armenians, and Henry V. TV: The Affair, House of Cards, The Americans, Elementary. Film: Kinsey, Perfect Stranger, The Laramie Project. Recipient of multiple lifetime achievement awards, including the Obie and Lortel.

Ellen McLaughlin, Best known for originating the Angel in Angels in America on Broadway, Ellen McLaughlin has appeared in August: Osage County, King Lear, Homebody/Kabul, and A Delicate Balance. Her work spans regional, international, and New York stages. As a playwright, her plays have been produced Off-Broadway and internationally. She has taught playwriting at Barnard College since 1995.

Creative team includes Jessica Parks (Scenic Design), David C. Woolard (Costume Design),
Jill Nagle (Lighting Design), Nick Simone (Sound Design), Rose Riccardi (Production Stage Manager). Pen Pals is produced by Lisa Dozier Shacket, Rachel Stange, Joe Trentacosta, Logan DeWitt, Anthony Hazzard & Scott Stolzenberg, Holly Garman, Michael Graf, Cherie Lindley, in association with NJ Repertory Company, Heiress Productions, Inc. General Management: LDK Productions / Michael Shannon.