Northern Stage Will Announce Casting For THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT And THE CHILDREN

Northern Stage will present two productions as part of its 2025–2026 season at the Byrne Theater at the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction, Vermont. The season will include THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT, a new play by Don X. Nguyen, and THE CHILDREN, Lucy Kirkwood’s contemporary drama. Both productions will be staged in the Byrne Theater.

THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT will run from February 4 through February 22. Written by Don X. Nguyen and directed by Rebecca Wear, the play centers on Don, a first-generation Vietnamese American astrophotographer, and his father, Dau. Don grew up speaking English and never learned Vietnamese, creating a distance between them that deepens as Dau begins to lose his hearing. In an effort to reconnect, Don learns American Sign Language, reshaping their relationship through shared understanding rather than spoken language.

The cast of THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT will include Mai Lê as Linh, Peter Trinh as Dau, and Paul Yen as Don. The creative team will be led by Wear and will include Julia Egizio as production stage manager, Frank J. Olivia as scenic designer, Alicia J. Austin as Costume Designer, Jennifer Fok as lighting designer, Nicholas Drashner as sound designer, Dylan B. Carter as projections designer and programmer, Moriah James as wig designer, and Thu-Binh Trinh Phan as projections operator. The production is supported in part by Dale F. Eickelman and The Tea House, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, and Carson Wealth Management.

THE CHILDREN will run from March 25 through April 12. Directed by Sarah Elizabeth Wansley, the play is set in a remote cottage on the British coast following a nuclear disaster. Two retired nuclear scientists are joined by a former colleague, forcing them to confront questions of responsibility, legacy, and the consequences of past decisions.

The cast of THE CHILDREN will feature Gordon Clapp, Martha Burns, and Daphne Zuniga. The creative team will include Wansley as director, Julia Egizio as production stage manager, Sasha Jin Schwartz as scenic designer, Lexi Spanier as Costume Designer, Amina Alexander as lighting designer and projections designer, DJ Potts as sound designer, and Thom Miller as dialect coach. The production is supported in part by Bill Schults and Betsy Maislen and AARP of Vermont.

Performances of THE WORLD IS NOT SILENT will run approximately 95 minutes with no intermission, while THE CHILDREN will run approximately 110 minutes, also without an intermission. Both productions are recommended for teens and up. Tickets for both productions will range from $37 to $80 depending on seating location, with discounted tickets available for students and patrons under age 25. All tickets are subject to a processing fee and may be purchased by calling (802) 296-7000 or visiting northernstage.org.