Jessica Chastain Will Star in Broadway Play 'Lost Lear' This Spring

Jessica Chastain will return to Broadway on March 29 in 'Lost Lear,' a new play by Irish writer Dan Colley, with an official opening set for April 23 at the Booth Theater.

The production runs 16 weeks. Chastain stars as an actress with dementia whose most vivid memories are of rehearsing the title role in 'King Lear,' and whose caretakers lean into 'Lear' to give her comfort.

What is the play about?

'Lost Lear' premiered in 2022. Colley, 39, drew on his own grandmother's memory loss and on his research into dementia care.

"As my grandmother changed — as the disease progressed — it made me wonder about the ways in which we're all living in different realities," Colley said in an interview.

The play uses video and puppetry extensively to depict distortions and breaks in the protagonist's mind. Scott Pask, a three-time Tony Award winner with 13 nominations, joins the Broadway design team as production designer.

Colley is revising the text slightly for New York, moving the action from Ireland to the United States. In plain terms, Broadway gets a play that earned its reputation abroad and now resets its geography for American audiences.

How did the production come together?

The story turns on a single hurried meeting in Ireland. Colley was home in Dublin this summer when a call came: Chastain was in the country, wrapping the horror film 'Other Mommy,' and wanted to see him that same day. He grabbed a freshly pressed shirt, jumped in a cab and raced to the house where she was staying.

Chastain had just read the play on her lunch break. She told him she wanted to star in it.

"What drew me to it is the relationship to family, and how difficult it can be to find the words to connect," Chastain said in an interview. "I love how it relates to memory, and the power of theater to make us feel part of something bigger than we are, and of course I studied Shakespeare and love the idea that I would get to speak language as rich as that."

The play was staged at Irish theaters in 2022 and 2023 and toured several other countries. Producers, including Greg Nobile of Seaview, spotted it at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year and got the script to Chastain.

Who else is involved?

Michael Urie plays Chastain's nurse. Corey Stoll plays her estranged son.

Chastain and Urie trained together at Juilliard; at one point she played Ophelia to his Hamlet.

"He was there when I fell in love with theater," Chastain said. "There's so much history between us."

Colley also directs — his Broadway debut. He devises and directs shows for children and adults in Ireland, and as a child he played Boy in an Irish production of 'Waiting for Godot' that toured several American cities.

Seaview and MarketStall produce with Mass Productions.

What does it mean for Chastain's career?

Chastain, an Oscar winner for 'The Eyes of Tammy Faye,' last appeared on Broadway in 'A Doll's House' (2023), earning strong reviews and a Tony nomination. She also appeared on Broadway in 'The Heiress' (2012).

With 'Lost Lear,' she uses her star power to bring a largely unknown Irish playwright's work to Broadway — a higher level of risk than a canonical revival. The gamble will be measured on April 23, when the production opens.