Across a void of thousands of miles and oceans of hurt, two half-brothers tentatively reconnect over the care of their ailing mother. Grangeville is a new play about the fallibility of memory, the stories we tell to make sense of our suffering, and the complexity of forgiveness.
Slowly we learn what the issues are in “Grangeville,” the latest play by Samuel D. Hunter that is, much like his others, quiet, insightful, ultimately moving. If your relationship with a sibling is complicated – and whose isn’t? – it hits home. At the same time, though, the production, which opens tonight at Signature Theater, might require a little more work on the part of the audience, thanks to a few challenging choices by both Hunter and director Jack Serio.
Packing a nice surprise towards its conclusion, the play is crisply staged by Jack Serio, the director, within purposefully stark environs designed by the dots team that enable Stacey Derosier’s lovely lighting design to bridge continents and to overwhelm individuals in emotional shadows. Background sounds designed by Christopher Darbassie contribute to the production’s easy naturalness. Hunter’s conversational dialogue and Serio’s staging both invest Grangeville with a sense of forward movement even as much of its story recounts the characters’ past.
| 2025 | Off-Broadway |
Signature Theatre Off-Broadway Premiere Production Off-Broadway |
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Direction of a Play | Jack Serio |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Lead Performance in a Playe | Paul Sparks |
| 2025 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Play | Samuel D. Hunter |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Lead Performer in an Off-Broadway Play | Paul Sparks |
| 2025 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play | Grangeville |
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