Adam Rapp
Latest News on Adam Rapp:
Review: THE OUTSIDERS First National Tour Presented by Broadway in Chicago (Feb 13, 2026)
Review: THE SOUND INSIDE Resonates at Capital Stage (Feb 11, 2026)
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Belk Theater (Feb 9, 2026)
Review: THE OUTSIDERS First National Tour Presented by Broadway in Chicago (Feb 13, 2026)
Review: THE SOUND INSIDE Resonates at Capital Stage (Feb 11, 2026)
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Belk Theater (Feb 9, 2026)
BIO
Adam Rapp is an award-winning playwright and director. He is the author of numerous plays, which include Nocturne (American Repertory Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, The Almeida, London, The Traverse, Edinburgh), Faster (Rattlestick), Animals & Plants (A.R.T.), Finer Noble Gases(26th Humana Festival, Rattlestick, Edinburgh Fringe, The Bush, London), Stone Cold Dead Serious(A.R.T., Edge Theatre), Blackbird (The Bush, London; Edge Theatre), Gompers (Pittsburgh City Theatre, The Arcola, London), Essential Self-Defense (Playwrights Horizons/Edge Theatre), American Sligo(Rattlestick), Bingo with the Indians (The Flea), Kindness (Playwrights Horizons), The Metal Children (The Vineyard), The Hallway Trilogy (Rattlestick), The Edge of Our Bodies (36thHumana Festival), Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling (The Atlantic), Wolf in the River (The Flea), The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois(The Atlantic), and Red Light Winter (Steppenwolf, Scott Rudin Productions at Barrow Street Theatre), for which he won Chicago's Jeff Award for Best New Work, an OBIE, and was named a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize.
In addition to helming his own work, he directed the world premiere of Karen O's psycho opera, Stop the Virgens, for The Creators Project at St. Ann's Warehouse, which was then selected for The Vivid Live Festival, where it sold out the Sydney Opera House for six performances. He also directed Sam Shepard's True West at Actors Theatre of Louisville, which went on to be named one of the 2012 Best Moments in Culture by Louisville's N.P.R. affiliate, WFPL. His production of Finer Noble Gases garnered a Fringe First Award at the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he received The List's Best Newcomer Prize.
His playwriting honors include Boston's Elliot Norton Award, The Helen Merrill Prize, The 2006 Princess Grace Statue, a Lucille Lortel Playwright's Fellowship, The Benjamin H. Danks Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation Award.
Productions
Writing
Playwright
Book
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Playwright
Awards and Nominations
Tony Awards - 2024 - Best Book of a Musical
Adam Rapp, The Outsiders
Tony Awards - 2020 - Best Play
Adam Rapp, The Sound Inside
Drama Desk Awards - 2007 - Outstanding Music for a Play
Adam Rapp, Essential Self-Defense
winner
Obie Awards - 2007 - Voice Judges
Adam Rapp
winner
Obie Awards - 2006 - Special Citations
Adam Rapp, Red Light Winter
Outer Critics Circle Awards - 2006 - John Gassner Playwriting Award
Adam Rapp, Red Light Winter
The Pulitzer Prize - 2006 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Adam Rapp., Red Light Winter
The Pulitzer Prize - 2006 - The Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Adam Rapp, Red Light Winter
Videos
Video: Anthony Rapp & Adam Pascal Sing 'What You Own' at BroadwayCon
by Joshua Wright - 2026-01-25 16:15:31
Video: Danya Taymor and Emma Pittman Talk THE OUTSIDERS on Good Morning America
by Blair Ingenthron - 2025-01-04 14:12:51
Video: THE OUTSIDERS Cast and Composers Perform 'Far Away From Tulsa' on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!
by Stephi Wild - 2024-12-12 09:07:16
Video: Watch the 'Hoods Turned Heroes' Music Video From THE OUTSIDERS
by Michael Major - 2024-10-15 10:52:16
Video: Brody Grant & Emma Pittman Sing 'I Could Talk to You All Night' from THE OUTSIDERS
by Nicole Rosky - 2024-08-09 14:26:28
Video: Joshua Boone Records 'Little Brother' from THE OUTSIDERS
by Blair Ingenthron - 2024-07-14 15:18:24
Exclusive: How THE OUTSIDERS Went from Great Book to Great Musical
by Nicole Rosky - 2024-06-08 16:00:20
Video: Watch Emma Pittman and Trevor Wayne Perform 'I Could Talk to You All Night' from THE OUTSIDERS
by Josh Sharpe - 2024-05-23 13:32:54
Video: Jeremy Strong Talks Theatre Roots and ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE on CBS SUNDAY MORNING
by Blair Ingenthron - 2023-05-14 10:54:58
VIDEO: Watch the Trailer for AMERICAN RUST, Coming Soon to Showtime
by Sarah Leiber - 2021-07-23 11:45:35
VIDEO: Jimmy Fallon Was Offered a Cameo in ALMOST FAMOUS on Broadway
by Sarah Leiber - 2019-10-23 20:19:46
TV: Go Inside Opening Night of THE SOUND INSIDE with Mary-Louise Parker, Will Hochman & More!
by TV - Opening Night Special - 2019-10-18 12:31:00
VIDEO: Mary-Louise Parker Says the Relationship in THE SOUND INSIDE 'Defies Description'
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-10-04 15:01:47
TV: Mary-Louise Parker & Will Hochman Explain What THE SOUND INSIDE is All About!
by Nicole Rosky - 2019-09-24 13:51:57
VIDEO: Mary-Louise Parker Talks Starring on Broadway in THE SOUND INSIDE
by Kaitlin Milligan - 2019-09-20 10:41:13
News
Review: THE OUTSIDERS First National Tour Presented by Broadway in Chicago
by Rachel Weinberg - Feb 13, 2026
THE OUTSIDERS presents an original and vibrant stage adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic 1967 novel about the conflict between Tulsa teen gangs the Greasers and the Socs (short for socialites). The musical — and particularly director Danya Taymor’s inventive and visually dynamic staging — pulses with youthful energy, but the material doesn’t feel juvenile.
by Rachel Weinberg - Feb 13, 2026
THE OUTSIDERS presents an original and vibrant stage adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic 1967 novel about the conflict between Tulsa teen gangs the Greasers and the Socs (short for socialites). The musical — and particularly director Danya Taymor’s inventive and visually dynamic staging — pulses with youthful energy, but the material doesn’t feel juvenile.
Review: THE SOUND INSIDE Resonates at Capital Stage
by Courtney Symes - Feb 11, 2026
Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room? You’re surrounded by people, yet you’re truly by yourself. That’s how Bella Baird, a creative writing teacher at Yale, lives her life. She has hundreds of students, but no friends, no family, no one she can count on. Michael Stevenson directs a compelling take on Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside, a haunting look at connection, intimacy, and restraint that stretches the audience’s imagination and trusts us to embrace unsettling ambiguity.
by Courtney Symes - Feb 11, 2026
Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room? You’re surrounded by people, yet you’re truly by yourself. That’s how Bella Baird, a creative writing teacher at Yale, lives her life. She has hundreds of students, but no friends, no family, no one she can count on. Michael Stevenson directs a compelling take on Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside, a haunting look at connection, intimacy, and restraint that stretches the audience’s imagination and trusts us to embrace unsettling ambiguity.
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Belk Theater
by Perry Tannenbaum - Feb 9, 2026
Musically and dramatically, THE OUTSIDERS plays like a top-notch chamber version of WEST SIDE STORY: less-heated animosities between the gangs, no symphonic aspirations to the music, and no hormones - none of these Greaser dudes has a girl! But when the music, the jagged choreography, and the special effects get cranked up, the fanaticism of the pre-sold audience is irresistibly contagious.
by Perry Tannenbaum - Feb 9, 2026
Musically and dramatically, THE OUTSIDERS plays like a top-notch chamber version of WEST SIDE STORY: less-heated animosities between the gangs, no symphonic aspirations to the music, and no hormones - none of these Greaser dudes has a girl! But when the music, the jagged choreography, and the special effects get cranked up, the fanaticism of the pre-sold audience is irresistibly contagious.
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Peace Center
by Elizabeth Cortes - Feb 5, 2026
The second most recent winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical is now the most recent one to tour at the Peace Center. The Outsiders, based on the English class classic by S.E. Hinton—and its attending ‘80s movie adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola—has been brought to engaging theatrical life by Adam Rapp, Justin Levine, and folk duo Jamestown Revival.
by Elizabeth Cortes - Feb 5, 2026
The second most recent winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical is now the most recent one to tour at the Peace Center. The Outsiders, based on the English class classic by S.E. Hinton—and its attending ‘80s movie adaptation by Francis Ford Coppola—has been brought to engaging theatrical life by Adam Rapp, Justin Levine, and folk duo Jamestown Revival.
THE OUTSIDERS, BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB and More Set for Broadway In Kansas City Season
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 3, 2026
PNC Broadway in Kansas City has announced the 2026–27 season for Music Hall and the Kauffman Center. The 2026–27 PNC BROADWAY IN KANSAS CITY season will include the following national touring Broadway productions at Music Hall.
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 3, 2026
PNC Broadway in Kansas City has announced the 2026–27 season for Music Hall and the Kauffman Center. The 2026–27 PNC BROADWAY IN KANSAS CITY season will include the following national touring Broadway productions at Music Hall.
HAMILTON, MAYBE HAPPY ENDING and More Set for 2026-2027 Broadway on Hennepin Series
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 3, 2026
Hennepin Arts has announced the 2026-2027 Broadway on Hennepin series, bringing 12 Broadway shows to Minneapolis for 14 weeks including Tony Award Best Musical winners The Outsiders, Maybe Happy Ending and Hamilton
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 3, 2026
Hennepin Arts has announced the 2026-2027 Broadway on Hennepin series, bringing 12 Broadway shows to Minneapolis for 14 weeks including Tony Award Best Musical winners The Outsiders, Maybe Happy Ending and Hamilton
Trevor Wayne, Jason Schmidt and More Set Final Performances in THE OUTSIDERS
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 2, 2026
Final performance dates have been revealed for some members of the original Broadway cast of The Outsiders at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, including Trevor WAyne, Jason Schmidt, and more.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 2, 2026
Final performance dates have been revealed for some members of the original Broadway cast of The Outsiders at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, including Trevor WAyne, Jason Schmidt, and more.
Tickets to THE OUTSIDERS at Playhouse Square are Now on Sale
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 28, 2026
Single tickets for the Tony Award winning Best Musical, The Outsiders, based on the seminal novel by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola's landmark motion picture, are now on sale for its Playhouse Square engagement.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 28, 2026
Single tickets for the Tony Award winning Best Musical, The Outsiders, based on the seminal novel by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola's landmark motion picture, are now on sale for its Playhouse Square engagement.
THE OUTSIDERS Recoups on Broadway
by Nicole Rosky - Jan 27, 2026
The Outsiders, which won four Tony Awards in 2024 (including Best Musical), has offically recouped its Broadway investment, becoming the first new musical to do so since & Juliet, which opened in 2022. The Broadway production recouped its $22 million capitalization costs as of the week ending December 28, 2025.
by Nicole Rosky - Jan 27, 2026
The Outsiders, which won four Tony Awards in 2024 (including Best Musical), has offically recouped its Broadway investment, becoming the first new musical to do so since & Juliet, which opened in 2022. The Broadway production recouped its $22 million capitalization costs as of the week ending December 28, 2025.
Video: Anthony Rapp & Adam Pascal Sing 'What You Own' at BroadwayCon
by Joshua Wright - Jan 25, 2026
Watch Adam Rapp and Adam Pascal reunite at BroadwayCon today to sing 'What You Own' from Rent. The performance was at the Jeffrey Seller In Conversation panel.
by Joshua Wright - Jan 25, 2026
Watch Adam Rapp and Adam Pascal reunite at BroadwayCon today to sing 'What You Own' from Rent. The performance was at the Jeffrey Seller In Conversation panel.
Tony Nominee Sky Lakota-Lynch Will Depart THE OUTSIDERS
by Nicole Rosky - Jan 23, 2026
Sky Lakota-Lynch, who earned Tony and Grammy Award nominations for his performance as “Johnny Cade” in The Outsiders, will play his final performance in the production in 7 weeks on Sunday, March 15.
by Nicole Rosky - Jan 23, 2026
Sky Lakota-Lynch, who earned Tony and Grammy Award nominations for his performance as “Johnny Cade” in The Outsiders, will play his final performance in the production in 7 weeks on Sunday, March 15.
HELL’S KITCHEN, THE OUTSIDERS and More Set for Broadway in Portland 2026-27 Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 21, 2026
Broadway in Portland has unveiled the 2026-2027 season of Broadway shows at Keller Auditorium, including Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen, The Outsiders, and more.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jan 21, 2026
Broadway in Portland has unveiled the 2026-2027 season of Broadway shows at Keller Auditorium, including Alicia Keys' Hell's Kitchen, The Outsiders, and more.
Capital Stage To Present Sacramento Premiere Of THE SOUND INSIDE
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 15, 2026
Capital Stage will present the Sacramento premiere of The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp as part of its 21st season. Directed by Michael Stevenson, the play explores the evolving relationship between a Yale professor and a gifted student.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 15, 2026
Capital Stage will present the Sacramento premiere of The Sound Inside by Adam Rapp as part of its 21st season. Directed by Michael Stevenson, the play explores the evolving relationship between a Yale professor and a gifted student.
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Fox Theatre, St. Louis
by Rob Levy - Jan 11, 2026
More of a drama with sung interludes than a full-blown musical, The Outsiders is an outstanding production. Relying on a minimalist stage, dark lighting, and choreography, the ensemble is given a wide berth to perform.
by Rob Levy - Jan 11, 2026
More of a drama with sung interludes than a full-blown musical, The Outsiders is an outstanding production. Relying on a minimalist stage, dark lighting, and choreography, the ensemble is given a wide berth to perform.
Lachat Farm to Present the World Premiere of HOLE IN THE WALL
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 8, 2026
Lachat Farm, produces the world premiere of Hole in the Wall, a comedy written by Richard Rogers-Award winning playwright Jeff Hughes, directed by Christopher Denham, the multi-talented actor-writer-director whose screen credits famously include Oppenheimer, Argo, Shutter Island, and Billions.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 8, 2026
Lachat Farm, produces the world premiere of Hole in the Wall, a comedy written by Richard Rogers-Award winning playwright Jeff Hughes, directed by Christopher Denham, the multi-talented actor-writer-director whose screen credits famously include Oppenheimer, Argo, Shutter Island, and Billions.
Interview: Marti Gobel on Opening OnWord Theatre’s Season Two with RED LIGHT WINTER
by ErinMarie Reiter - Jan 6, 2026
Interview with Producing Artistic Director, performer, and director Marti Gobel about OnWord Theatre’s second season with 'Red Light Winter' by Adam Rapp.
by ErinMarie Reiter - Jan 6, 2026
Interview with Producing Artistic Director, performer, and director Marti Gobel about OnWord Theatre’s second season with 'Red Light Winter' by Adam Rapp.
Review: A Literary Work Becomes a Phenomenon With THE OUTSIDERS: A NEW MUSICAL at the Straz Center
by Drew Eberhard - Jan 3, 2026
The year, 1967, the place, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and its central narrative came from the scrawlings of a 16-year-old named Susan Eloise Hinton, and the rest as we know it is solidified into literary history. History so much, that it has sparked a re-birth with a new generation and with the new stage adaptation of Hinton’s subliminal novel, a pandemonium and cultural phenomenon was created.
by Drew Eberhard - Jan 3, 2026
The year, 1967, the place, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and its central narrative came from the scrawlings of a 16-year-old named Susan Eloise Hinton, and the rest as we know it is solidified into literary history. History so much, that it has sparked a re-birth with a new generation and with the new stage adaptation of Hinton’s subliminal novel, a pandemonium and cultural phenomenon was created.
Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Dr. Phillips Center For The Performing Arts
by Albert Gutierrez - Dec 17, 2025
One of the most effective things the musical gains by moving from page to screen to stage is permission to reframe the story without betraying it. By leaning harder into the Curtis brothers as the emotional spine, the musical clarifies a distinction that’s always been present in the text but rarely foregrounded this explicitly: Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy are family by blood, bound by obligation and grief; while the Greasers are family by choice, bound by loyalty and survival.
by Albert Gutierrez - Dec 17, 2025
One of the most effective things the musical gains by moving from page to screen to stage is permission to reframe the story without betraying it. By leaning harder into the Curtis brothers as the emotional spine, the musical clarifies a distinction that’s always been present in the text but rarely foregrounded this explicitly: Darry, Soda, and Ponyboy are family by blood, bound by obligation and grief; while the Greasers are family by choice, bound by loyalty and survival.
Tony Award-Winning THE OUTSIDERS Now On Sale At DeVos Performance Hall
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 12, 2025
The Outsiders will tour to Grand Rapids as part of its national engagement at DeVos Performance Hall. The Tony Award–winning musical is based on the novel by S.E. Hinton.
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 12, 2025
The Outsiders will tour to Grand Rapids as part of its national engagement at DeVos Performance Hall. The Tony Award–winning musical is based on the novel by S.E. Hinton.
John Patrick Collins to Step into the Role of 'Bob' in THE OUTSIDERS
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 12, 2025
John Patrick Collins, currently a swing in the company of The Outsiders, will assume the role of “Bob” on Broadway.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 12, 2025
John Patrick Collins, currently a swing in the company of The Outsiders, will assume the role of “Bob” on Broadway.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How many shows has Adam Rapp written?
Adam Rapp has written 12 shows including Nocturne (Playwright), Faster (Playwright), Red Light Winter (Playwright), The 24 Hour Plays 2006 (Playwright), Essential Self-Defense (Playwright), Kindness (Playwright), Dreams of Flying Dreams of Falling (Playwright), Through The Yellow Hour (Playwright), The Purple Lights of Joppa Illinois (Playwright), The Edge of Our Bodies (Playwright), The Sound Inside (Playwright), The Outsiders (Book).
What awards has Adam Rapp been nominated for?
Best Book of a Musical (Tony Awards) for The Outsiders, Best Play (Tony Awards) for The Sound Inside, Outstanding Music for a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Essential Self-Defense, Voice Judges (Obie Awards), Special Citations (Obie Awards) for Red Light Winter, John Gassner Playwriting Award (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Red Light Winter , The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for Red Light Winter and The Pulitzer Prize for Drama (The Pulitzer Prize) for Red Light Winter.
What awards has Adam Rapp won?
Adam Rapp has won Voice Judges and Special Citations Obie Awards for Red Light Winter.
Videos