My Name is Lucy Barton

Book by Elizabeth Strout adapted for the theatre by Rona Munro

Growing up in a dysfunctional household, Lucy Barton had a difficult childhood. Her father was abusive and while her mother loved Lucy, she was unable to protect her or her siblings from their father's mercurial mood swings. As a result Lucy would frequently take solace in reading, which led her to realize that she wanted to become a writer. When she came of age, Lucy quickly fled the family home. Years later Lucy is hospitalized after she develops an infection following an operation. During her stay her mother comes to visit and the two reconnect after years of not speaking to one another.

A monologue play adapted from the novel by Rona Munro opened at the Bridge Theatre in London in previews on June 2, 2018 and officially on June 6. The production was directed by Richard Eyre and starred Laura Linney.

My Name is Lucy Barton

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, New York, NY
First Preview 04, Jan 2020
Opening Night 15, Jan 2020
Closing 29 Feb 2020

Cast

Laura Linney

Reviews are Out

Creative

Produced by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) and The London Theatre Company; Produced in association with Penguin Random House Audio
Written by Elizabeth Strout; Adapted by Rona Munro
Directed by Richard Eyre
Scenic Design by Bob Crowley
Costume Design by Bob Crowley
Lighting Design by Peter Mumford
Sound Design by John Leonard
Projection Design by Luke Halls

Laura Linney

Laura Linney is an American actress who works in film, television and theatre.

She was most recently seen in the highly anticipated Netflix revival of Tales of the City, for which she served as an executive producer and stars opposite Olympia Dukakis and Ellen Paige. Premiering in 2020 is Season 3 of Ozark, a Netflix original series where she plays Wendy Byrde opposite Jason Bateman and Julia Garner. Also premiering in 2020 is the Sally Potter directed film Molly, in which Linney stars opposite Elle Fanning and Salma Hayek. Molly follows a turbulent 24 hours in the life of a father and daughter, grappling with the challenges of dealing with a father's chaotic mental state.

In June 2018 Laura made her London theatre debut in Richard Eyre's limited three-week run of My Name Is Lucy Barton, the stage play adapted from the Elizabeth Strout novel of the same name and opened to rave reviews. Back by popular demand, the show returned to the London stage in 2019, and will be making its Broadway debut in January 2020. The story follows Lucy Barton, who after an operation wakes to find her estranged mother at the end of her bed, bringing back memories of her early life in the country, her subsequent escape to New York and the two women's complex relationship.

Linney's numerous film credits include, The Dinner, Nocturnal Animals, Sully, Genius, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, You Can Count On Me, Kinsey, The Savages, The Fifth Estate, Hyde Park On Hudson, The Squid And The Whale, Mystic River, Absolute Power, The Truman Show, Primal Fear, The Mothman Prophecies, Love Actually, P.S., The House Of Mirth, The Details and Congo, among many others.

Laura starred in and served as an executive producer for the Showtime Series The Big C for four seasons for which she won a few awards. She also won multiple awards for her portrayal of Abigail Adams in the HBO miniseries John Adams directed by Tom Hooper. Early in her career, she starred as Mary Ann Singleton in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series, a job for which she continues to be most grateful and proud. She appeared as Kelsey Grammer's final girlfriend in the last six episodes of Fraiser; was directed by Stanley Donen in Love Letters, and starred opposite Joanne Woodward in Blind Spot.

She has also appeared in many Broadway productions, most notably The Little Foxes, Time Stands Still and Sight Unseen, directed by Daniel Sullivan and written by Donald Margulies. Additional credits include Arthur Miller's The Crucible, directed by Richard Eyre opposite Liam Neeson, Six Degrees of Separation, Honour, Uncle Vanya, Les Liaisons, Dangereuses, Holiday and The Seagull.

Linney has been nominated three times for an Academy Award, four times for a Tony Award, six times for a SAG award, once for a BAFTA Award, and five times for a Golden Globe. She has won one Screen Actors Guild Award, one National Board of Review Award, two Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards. She holds two honorary Doctorates from her alma maters, Brown University and The Juilliard School.

Samuel J. Friedman Theatre

The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (formerly the Biltmore Theatre) is a Broadway theatre located at 261 West 47th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp for impresario Irwin Chanin, it opened on December 7, 1925 with the play Easy Come Easy Go. With a seating capacity of 903, it was one of Broadway’s smaller venues. The theatre was used by Federal Theatre’s Living Newspaper project in the 1930s. CBS leased it for use as a radio and television studio from 1952 until 1961.

In 1968, the groundbreaking rock musical Hair opened at the theatre.In 1987, a fire struck the Biltmore. The blaze, which was later determined to be an act of arson, destroyed the interior. After the fire, the building sat vacant for fourteen years, suffering more structural damage from water and vandals. The theatre’s ownership changed hands several times between 1987 and 2001, but most plans proposed for its future use – such as a showcase for “Best of Broadway” revues – were rejected since its New York City landmark designation required it to operate only as a legitimate Broadway house if renovated.