TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, Starring Nia Vardalos, Begins Previews at The Public

The Public Theater begins previews tonight, September 19, for the encore engagement of the acclaimed production of Tiny Beautiful Things, part of The Public's Astor Anniversary Season at their landmark downtown home on Lafayette Street, celebrating 50 years of new work at 425 Lafayette Street and the 50th Anniversary of HAIR.

Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed, adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail, and Nia Vardalos, and directed by Thomas Kail, the show returns after a sold-out run in The Public's Shiva Theater in Fall 2016.

Featuring Nia Vardalos returning as "Sugar," the show begins previews in The Public's Newman Theater on Tuesday, September 19 and runs through Sunday, November 12, with an official press opening on Monday, October 2.

The complete cast of Tiny Beautiful Things features Teddy Cañez, Ceci Fernandez, DeLance Minefee, Hubert Point-Du Jour, Nia Vardalos, and Natalie Woolams-Torres.

Continuing The Public's mission to make great theater accessible to all, The Public's First Performance "Free for All" continues this fall; free tickets to the first preview on Tuesday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m. will be available beginning September 12, via TodayTix mobile lottery.

Following its critically-acclaimed and sold-out run last season, the uplifting and richly funny Tiny Beautiful Things returns to The Public's larger Newman Theater with Academy Award-nominee Nia Vardalos reprising the role of "Sugar," based on the best-selling book by author Cheryl Strayed.

Thousands of people wrote letters asking for advice from an anonymous online columnist named "Sugar," who drew from her own life experiences to answer in a candid, often brutally honest exchange. It was later revealed that "Sugar" was Cheryl Strayed. Vardalos adapts the book, weaving together the real letters to explore the monstrous beauty, unfathomable dark and glimmering light which are at the heart of being human. Tony Award winner Thomas Kail directs this "incredibly moving" play about reaching out when you're stuck, healing when you're broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions which have no answer.

TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS features scenic design by Rachel Hauck, costume design by Jennifer Moeller, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, and sound design by Jill BC Du Boff.

Tiny Beautiful Things is made possible with the generous support of The Edgerton Foundation New Play Award and The Ted & Mary Jo Shen Charitable Gift Fund.

The world-renowned Public Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. This fall begins The Public's Astor Anniversary Season celebrating 50 years of new work at 425 Lafayette Street and the 50th Anniversary of HAIR which opened the landmark theater in October 1967. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and by leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to Free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes Free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all; Public Works, an expanding initiative that is designed to cultivate new connections and new models of engagement with artists, audiences and the community each year; the Under the Radar Festival, a yearly festival celebrating diverse and cutting-edge performance from the U.S. and abroad; and audience and artist development initiatives that range from the Emerging Writers Group to the Public Forum series. The Public's work is also seen on tour throughout the U.S. and internationally and in collaborations and co-productions with regional and international theaters. The Public is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Public is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning acclaimed American musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda and in Fall 2017, John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 169 Obie Awards, 53 Drama Desk Awards, 54 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics Awards, and six Pulitzer Prizes.