Stuff Happens to End Public Theater Run June 25

The New York premiere of David Hare's critically acclaimed play Stuff Happens will close at the Public Theater on June 25th. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, Stuff Happens began previews on March 28th and was extended twice for a total of eight weeks beyond its original run after selling out in its first week of previews.

Hare said, "I've been amazed at how timely the play has seemed to be in New York. A lot of people had warned me in advance that audiences would no longer be interested in the path to the Iraq war – they'd rather watch comedies and musicals, they said. So, clearly, it was exceptionally brave of Oskar Eustis to revive the best traditions of The Public Theater and to take such a huge risk against the common wisdom. To see that risk pay off so spectacularly both at the box office and in the extraordinary intensity of the response has been profoundly satisfying. As usual, the audience is ahead of the rest of us."

Stuff Happens has won OBIE Awards for Performance (Byron Jennings and Peter Francis James) and for Direction (Daniel Sullivan), a Drama Desk Special Ensemble Award for Acting, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Play.

"A provocative and thoughtful play about how and why we went to war in Iraq, Stuff Happens brings to the stage an ongoing story of great national and international importance, with characters and dialogue seemingly ripped from today's headlines. Inspired by actual events - both public and private - that have been authenticated from multiple sources, Stuff Happens is a powerful history play that brilliantly transforms 'real life' into profound drama," according to press notes.

The play stars Reed Birney as Tony Blair, Zach Grenier as Dick Cheney, Peter Francis James as Colin Powell, Larry Pine as Donald Rumsfeld, Gloria Reuben as Condoleezza Rice, and Jay O. Sanders as George W. Bush.

The play brings back to The Public a writer whose roots here run deep. David Hare began working at The Public in 1971, and his play Plenty was a landmark in both his history and The Public's. During the production, he will be in residence incorporating new material into the script that speaks to recent political events.

The show features scenic design by Riccardo Hernández, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting design by Pat Collins and sound design by Dan Moses Schreier.

Stuff Happens pays Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00pm, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm and Sunday at 7:00pm. Please note: For the week of Tuesday, April 25th, the show will play Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00PM, Wednesday at 12:00PM and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00PM. Additionally, there will be post-show discussions on the following Tuesdays: April 4th, April 11th April 18th and April 25th.

Tickets for the play, which are $50, are on sale at The Public Theater box office, 425 Lafayette Street; on-line at www.publictheater.org; and via Telecharge, 212-239-6200. Box office hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 1:00pm to 7:30pm, and Sunday and Monday from 1:00pm to 6:00pm. For more information, visit www.publictheater.org