Cast Announced for Broadway-Bound 1776 at American Repertory Theater

American Repertory Theater at Harvard University announced the full cast and creative team of its upcoming revival of 1776 directed by Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus.

The 1776 cast includes the following performers who identify as female, non-binary, and trans: Gisela Adisa (she/her) as Robert Livingston, delegate from New York, Nancy Anderson (she/her) as George Read, delegate from Delaware, Becca Ayers (she/they) as Col. Thomas McKean, delegate from Delaware, Tiffani Barbour (she/her) as the custodian, Andrew McNair, Allison Briner Dardenne (she/her) as Stephen Hopkins, delegate from Rhode Island, Allyson Kaye Daniel (she/her) as Abigail Adams / Rev. Jonathan Witherspoon, delegate from New Jersey, Elizabeth A. Davis (she/her) as Thomas Jefferson, delegate from Virginia, Mehry Eslaminia (she/her) as the secretary, Charles Thomson, Joanna Glushak (she/her) as John Dickinson, delegate from Pennsylvania, Shawna Hamic (she/her) as Richard Henry Lee, delegate from Virginia, Eryn LeCroy (she/her) as Martha Jefferson / Dr. Lyman Hall, delegate from Georgia, Crystal Lucas-Perry (she/her) as John Adams, delegate from Massachusetts, Liz Mikel (she/her) as John Hancock, President of the Second Continental Congress, Patrena Murray (she/her) as Benjamin Franklin, delegate from Pennsylvania, Oneika Phillips (she/her) as Joseph Hewes, delegate from North Carolina, Lulu Picart (she/her) as Samuel Chase, delegate from Maryland, Sara Porkalob (she/they) as Edward Rutledge, delegate from South Carolina, Sushma Saha (pronoun inclusive) as Judge James Wilson, delegate from Pennsylvania, Brooke Simpson (she/her) as Roger Sherman, delegate from Connecticut, Salome Smith (she/her) as the Courier, Sav Souza (they/them) as Dr. Josiah Bartlett, delegate from New Hampshire, Grace Stockdale (she/her) as a Standby, Jill Vallery (she/her) as Caesar Rodney, delegate from Delaware, Imani Pearl Williams (she/her) as a Standby

Co-presented with Roundabout Theatre Company, the production begins performances at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA, on Tuesday, May 17; opens officially on Thursday, May 26; and plays through Sunday, July 24, 2022.

Following its premiere at A.R.T., 1776 will begin performances in September 2022 at Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre in New York City before embarking on a 16-city national tour in February 2023.

Page, who also serves as choreographer, has recent credits that include Choir Boy at Philadelphia Theatre Company, Memphis in Tokyo, and Violet at Roundabout Theatre Company. Paulus is the Tony Award-winning Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director at American Repertory Theater where she directed, among many others, the world premiere productions of Jagged Little Pill and Waitress and the 2012 revival of Pippin prior to their Broadway runs.

"This new production of 1776 is giving me the opportunity to not only see, but also contextualize, myself in a history that has historically occluded me and people who look like me-to realize history in a new way, and to find it in our country," said Director/Choreographer Jeffrey L. Page. "As I've worked with Diane, we've explored the unsaid, unspoken, and unwritten history, and as a result I have found myself inside of the important piece of art, inside of American history, and I have learned something new about both."

"Jeffrey and I are fascinated by the idea that history isn't the clear or linear story we read in our textbooks, but instead, a predicament that we must grapple with in order to understand our past so that we can move forward together," said Director Diane Paulus. "We make theater in collaboration to expand our point of view, and I'm so excited to continue this creative partnership with Jeffrey and to work with this extraordinary cast to bring this new production to our A.R.T. audience in Cambridge, and beyond."

They knew they would make history, but not what history would make of them. Fed up with living under the tyranny of British rule, John Adams attempts to persuade his fellow members of the Continental Congress to vote in favor of American Independence and sign the Declaration. But how much is he willing to compromise in the pursuit of freedom? And who does that freedom belong to? Jeffrey L. Page and Diane Paulus direct a new production of the Tony Awarda"?-winning musical, reexamining this pivotal moment in American history with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.

Alfredo Macias (he/him) is the Production Stage Manager; Genevieve Kersh (she/her) and John Meredith (they/them) are the Assistant Stage Managers.

1776 casting is by Stephen Kopel (he/him). Brisa Areli Muñoz (she/her) is Associate Director. Tamar Climan (she/her) is the Supervising Producer.

The 1776 design team includes: Scott Pask (he/him), Scenic Design (Tony Award winner; Waitress, Finding Neverland, and Pippin at A.R.T and on Broadway; multiple RTC productions), Emilio Sosa (he/him), Costume Design (Tony Award nominee; The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess at A.R.T. and on Broadway; The White Card and others at A.R.T.), Jennifer Schriever (she/her), Lighting Design (In the Body of the World at A.R.T. and New York City Center; Fingersmith at A.R.T.), Jonathan Deans (he/him), Sound Design (Tony Award nominee; Jagged Little Pill, Waitress, Finding Neverland at A.R.T./Broadway; Pippin on Broadway), David Bengali (he/him), Projection Design (Drama Desk Award nominee; We Live in Cairo at A.R.T., Associate Designer of Witness Uganda at A.R.T./Invisible Thread at Second Stage), and Mia Neal (she/her), Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design

The 1776 music team includes David Chase (he/him), Music Supervisor (Finding Neverland at A.R.T./ Broadway), John Clancy (he/him), Orchestrator (Tony Award nominee; Fun Home; Mean Girls), AnnMarie Milazzo (she/her), Vocal Designer (Prometheus Bound at A.R.T.; Finding Neverland at A.R.T./Broadway);, Ryan Cantwell (he/him), Music Director
(Pippin National Tour, Finding Neverland National Tour, Waitress National Tour).

1776 features music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. It is based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. The original production was directed by Peter Hunt and originally produced on the Broadway stage by Stuart Ostrow.

American Repertory Theater 2021/22 programming support is provided by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Bank of America, Barton & Guestier, Meyer Sound, and JetBlue. A.R.T. 2021/22 programming is dedicated to the memory of Karen Mueller in recognition of her many contributions to the theater.

Tickets from $25 are available at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/1776-Revival. Discounts are available to students and ticket-buyers under age 25, Blue Star families, EBT card holders, seniors, Harvard faculty and staff, and others. More information at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org/PlanYourVisit.

Photo Credits: Emilio Madrid