Production History

In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play premiered on February 5, 2009 at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, CA. It was the theatre's 50th world premiere. The show was directed by British theatre director and Berkeley Rep Associate Artistic Director Les Waters, a known pioneer of new work and of new playwrights like Sarah Ruhl, Will Eno, and Anne Washburn. The production team featured sets by Annie Smart, costumes by David Zinn, lighting by Russell H. Champ, sound by Bray Poor, music by Jonathan Bell, and production stage management by Michael Suenkel. The cast comprised Hannah Cabell (Catherine Givings), Joaquín Torres (Leo Irving), Maria Dizzia (Sabrina Daldry), Paul Niebanck (Dr. Givings), Melle Powers (Elizabeth), Stacy Ross (Annie), and John Leonard Thompson (Mr. Daldry).

Here are a few visual snippets from the Berkeley Rep production: promotional photos here and video below:

The play then moved to Broadway, where it opened November 19, 2009 at the Lyceum Theatre at the Lincoln Theater Center, and closed January 10, 2010. It was both Ruhl's and Les Waters's Broadway debut. Despite its brief run, it was well reviewed. The production team was the same as the Berkeley production, but the cast was altered. The Broadway cast was as follows: Laura Benanti (Mrs. Givings), Quincy Tyler Bernstine (Elizabeth), Michael Cerveris (Dr. Givings), Maria Dizzia (Mrs. Daldry), Thomas Jay Ryan (Mr. Daldry), Wendy Rich Stetson (Annie), and Chandler Williams (Leo Irving).

There has been an explosion of regional productions of In the Next Room since its run on Broadway. It has been produced all across the country as well as internationally. In the U.S., some highlights include productions at The Actor’s Theatre in Phoenix, A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle, Theatre Workshop of Nantucket, Playmaker's Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, Woolly Mammoth in Washington, D.C., South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, San Diego Repertory Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage Company in Boston, Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, and Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago. There have been international productions at the Sydney Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia and at the Tarragon Theatre Company in Toronto, Canada. There also has been a university production, at the Brooklyn College Department of Theatre.