Prayer for the French Republic at Theater J

By Joshua Harmon

DIRECTED BY HAYLEY FINN 

2024 BEST PLAY TONY AWARD® NOMINATION
WINNER OF THE 2020 TRISH VRADENBURG NEW JEWISH PLAY PRIZE

The Benhamou family has lived in Paris for five generations. A visit from their American cousin, Molly, is quickly overshadowed by an antisemitic attack on the family’s son, Daniel. The turmoil of the event awakens even the most dormant fears as each family member advocates for ways to move forward – or away. Just outside their window, the mounting pressure of Marine Le Pen’s extreme views winning over the populace shows no signs of waning. 

As the family references the choices of generations before, time bends to bring the characters forward, echoing the same questions. Past and present play out simultaneously, revealing our questions have been here before, but the answers have yet to arrive.

A new-play favorite on Broadway and recipient of the inaugural Trish Vradenburg Jewish Play Prize, Joshua Harmon’s Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle award-winning epic family drama Prayer for the French Republic breaks open the global question “Where are we safe?”

Authors

• Joshua Harmon