Across a void of thousands of miles and oceans of hurt, two half-brothers tentatively reconnect over the care of their ailing mother. Grangeville is a new play about the fallibility of memory, the stories we tell to make sense of our suffering, and the complexity of forgiveness.
The play’s engine having finally turned over, it purrs confidently to the end, which includes a coup de théâtre reminiscent of the one in Hunter’s previous Signature outing, “A Case for the Existence of God.” Like that gorgeous play, too, it offers the idea of incremental hope to those whose lives would not seem to allow it. The trick, as Stacey learns from reading medieval history, is to find the freedom in that. There is no fate, Hunter argues, and his play demonstrates: just an infinity of second chances.
While the design team does much dramaturgical lifting, the acting is equally superb. Just when you think you’ve seen every vocal twang or behavioral quirk from the longtime secret weapon Paul Sparks, he whips up another virtuosic portrait of a damaged, complicated weirdo (they tend to be more country than urban).
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Signature Theatre Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Jack Serio |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Playe | Paul Sparks |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Samuel D. Hunter |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | Paul Sparks |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | Grangeville |
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