Walden
Closing: November 24, 2024Walden - 2024 Off-Broadway History , Info & More
Second Stage - Tony Kiser Theatre
305 West 43rd Street New York, NY 10036
Theatrical rising star and O’Neill finalist Amy Berryman brings us an “intelligent, soulful drama” (The Guardian) about how vast the space can be between two people. In the near future, Stella and her fiancé, Bryan, are waiting at their remote cabin for Stella’s estranged twin sister, Cassie. Raised by their astronaut father to be NASA scientists, the twins have taken different paths: Cassie has just returned from a successful moon mission, while Stella has left NASA behind. When they reunite, old conflicts reignite, forcing the sisters to choose between staying on Earth or pursuing a future in space, as humanity’s fate hangs in the balance. Directed by Tony Award®️ nominee Whitney White (Jaja's African Hair Braiding), Walden is a thrilling and engrossing new play that wrestles between the gravitational pulls of duty and desire.
Walden - 2024 - Off-Broadway Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Walden
‘Walden’ Review: My Sister! My Twin! My Astronaut!
4 / 10
Despite the hat tip to Thoreau in its title, “Walden” eventually goes full soap opera. Its crisis isn’t so much about forcing Stella to choose between Mars and Earth as about forcing her to choose between Cassie and Bryan. The performances often lean overbroad too, laboriously alternating between breeziness and dudgeon. Only Winters, always an expert at making contradictions emulsify, is convincing — if not overall, then moment by moment.
'Walden' review — Emmy Rossum and Zoë Winters are twins with space between them
7 / 10
These characters are surrounded by Matt Saunders's set design, a marvel. The cabin is armored in corrugated iron and furnished with all the homey trimmings of a fancy, off-the-grid Airbnb, and you can play find-the-hidden-object during moments of prolonged sisterly bickering. It’s during these times that the play deviates from its namesake — a book written by the American transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, who wrote his Walden after spending two years alone in a self-built cabin to live a simple life of spirituality and environmentalism. Thoreau, however, did not have his sibling with him.
Category
by Bruce Glikas - November 10, 2024
Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, starring Emmy Rossum, Zoe Winters, and Motell Foster, and directed by Whitney White, opened at Second Stage Theater and BroadwayWorld was there to capture the festivities. Check out the photos here!
by A.A. Cristi - November 7, 2024
Emmy Rossum, Zoe Winters, and Motell Foster star in Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, directed by Whitney White, now playing at Second Stage Theater. Read the reviews!
by Josh Sharpe - October 25, 2024
Emmy Rossum stopped by Live with Kelly and Mark to talk about the off-Broadway play Walden, which is now in previews at the Tony Kiser Theater. Watch the interview now!
by Joey Mervis - October 23, 2024
Up next at Second Stage Theater is Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, directed by Whitney White and starring Emmy Rossum, Zoe Winters, and Motell Foster. Watch as the full company gathers to chat more about the new play in this video.
by Stephi Wild - October 22, 2024
Emmy Rossum, Zoe Winters, and Motell Foster will star in Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, directed by Whitney White at Second Stage Theater. WALDEN began previews on October 16th and will officially open on November 7th at the Tony Kiser Theater. Check out all new production photos here!
by Bruce Glikas - September 24, 2024
Emmy Rossum and ZOË WINTERS will star in Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, directed by Whitney White at Second Stage Theater. See photos of the company meeting the press and learn more about the production!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - September 12, 2024
Motell Foster will complete the cast of Amy Berryman’s play WALDEN at Second Stage Theater, joining the previously announced Emmy Rossum and Zoë Winters. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets.
by Nicole Rosky - September 4, 2024
EMMY ROSSUM and ZOË WINTERS are set to star in Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, directed by Whitney White. Find out more about the new play here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - August 12, 2024
Amy Berryman’s play, WALDEN, directed by Whitney White, has been added to Second Stage Theater's upcoming season. Learn more about the season and see how to purchase tickets.
Walden History
Other Productions of Walden
| 2024 | Off-Broadway |
Second Stage Theater Off-Broadway Premiere Off-Broadway |
Walden - 2024 Off-Broadway Awards and Nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play | Matt Saunders |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | John Gassner Award (new American play preferably by a new playwright) | Amy Berryman |
Videos