Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library at WP Theater

LUNA STAGE’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED NEW YORK PREMIERE OF JENNY LYN BADER’S MRS. STERN WANDERS THE PRUSSIAN STATE LIBRARY, DIRECTED BY ARI LAURA KREITH, EXTENDS AND MOVES TO WP THEATER

OFF-BROADWAY EXTENSION BEGINS PREVIEWS DECEMBER 10, OPENS DECEMBER 17, RUNS THROUGH JANUARY 12

New York, NY – Due to critical acclaim and an incredible run of sold out performances at 59E59 Theaters, Luna Stage’s New York premiere of Jenny Lyn Bader’s Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library, directed by Ari Laura Kreith, is extending and moving to Off-Broadway’s WP Theater for a limited five-week engagement, December 10, 2024 – January 12, 2025. Opening night is December 17. WP Theater is located at 2162 Broadway between 76 and 77 Streets in New York City.

Berlin, 1933. With martial law in effect, political activism has become a capital crime. A young Gestapo officer arrests a graduate student suspected of illegal research. This interrogation promises to be most challenging as he faces the iconic 20th-century thinker Hannah Arendt. Is she an innocent woman? Or an enemy of the state? Inspired by real events, this fantastical drama delves into the life and mind of one of history’s most profound thinkers.

The cast features Ella Dershowitz, Drew Hirshfield and Brett Temple. Understudies are Jay DeYonker and Rachel Oremland.

The design team includes Lortel and Obie Award winner Lauren Helpern (Set), Cameron Filepas (Lights), Megan Culley (Sound) and Deborah Caney (Costumes). Production Stage Manager is Ingrid Pierson and Assistant Stage Manager is Lisa R. Stafford. Barbara Freitag is Associate Producer and Perry Street Theatricals are General Managers.

Performances are Tuesdays - Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 7:30pm, and Sundays at 3pm. Additional shows on Monday, Dec 23 at 7pm, Thursday, Dec 26 at 3pm, and Thursday, January 2 at 3pm. No performances on December 24, 25 and 31. Run time is 90 minutes. Tickets are $39, $69, $99 and $129. For more info and to purchase tickets visit https://www.mrssterntheplay.com.

Praise for Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library

“A powerful and timely tour de force!” — Voice of America

“For 90 minutes, you may very well be on the edge of your seat!... this is well worth seeing, and I hope it moves!” — Broadway Radio

“An evocative exploration of resilience, identity, and the pursuit of freedom!”
— Times Square Chronicles

“An intellectually stimulating and profoundly moving historical drama!” — Off Off Online

“An outstanding drama… beautifully directed by Ari Laura Kreith.” — This Week In New York

“A stimulating and suspenseful 90-minute play.” — Theater Scene

A fan favorite, the show is currently rated 95% on Show-Score: https://www.show-score.com/off-broadway-shows/mrs-stern-wanders-the-prussian-state-library-luna-stage

Post-show talkbacks will take place on Tuesday, December 10 and Friday, December 13 with Roger Berkowitz. Professor Berkowitz is the Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and the Humanities at Bard College and the winner of the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought. Additional post-show talkbacks will be announced and added throughout the run.

Luna Stage develops and produces vibrant plays about local and global experiences, and brings communities together for artistic events that spark conversations, create understanding, and inspire change. Founded in Montclair NJ in 1993, Luna Stage moved to West Orange in 2010 to become an arts anchor of the underserved Valley neighborhood. As producer, innovator, and educator, Luna is dedicated to eliminating barriers to participation, and nurturing the next generation of audiences and artists.

Luna Stage World Premieres include Tony winner Matthew Lopez’s breakout play The Whipping Man, which went on to have its New York premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club and subsequently became one of the most widely-produced plays in the United States from 2012-2016, and three World Premieres by Obie winner Nikkole Salter: Lines In The Dust (Luna commission), Indian Head (Luna co-commission) and Carnaval. Luna received the NJ Arts People’s Choice Award for Favorite Small Theatre in New Jersey, the Giles R. Wright Designation for Excellence in African American History, and has contributed to the development of over 100 new works for the stage. Read more at https://www.lunastage.org.

WP Theater, now in its 47th Season, is the nation’s oldest and largest theater company dedicated to developing, producing and promoting the work of Women+ at every stage in their careers. For almost five decades they have served as leaders at the forefront of a global movement towards gender parity, and the example they set and the artists they have fostered have grown into a robust and thriving community of artists in theater and beyond. WP Theater received a 2018 Lucille Lortel Award, a 2019 Obie Award, and a 2020 Drama Desk Award, all for Outstanding Body of Work, recognizing WP’s unique place and vital work in the theatrical landscape.