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Two-time Academy Award winner Adrien Brody (The Brutalist, The Pianist) will make his Broadway debut this March in Olivier Award nominee Lindsey Ferrentino’s play The Fear of 13.
Based on David Sington’s documentary about a falsely accused death row inmate, The Fear of 13 will be directed by David Cromer (The Band’s Visit, Bug) and also star Tessa Thompson (Hedda, Netflix’s His & Hers) in her Broadway debut.
The 16-week limited engagement begins previews on Thursday, March 19, at the James Earl Jones Theatre with an opening night set for Wednesday, April 15. The announcement was made today by producers Seaview, Wessex Grove, and Gavin Kalin Productions.
The production will partner with the Innocence Project, the organization founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld that uses DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful conviction. “Together, The Fear of 13 and the Innocence Project aim to support this vital work and provide audiences with meaningful ways to take action beyond the theater,” the announcement noted.
The synopsis: “The Fear of 13 tells the extraordinary true story of Nick Yarris, who spends more than two decades on death row for a murder he insists he did not commit. Through a series of prison visits with a volunteer named Jackie, Nick traces a life shaped by impulse and consequence. As Nick and Jackie’s conversations deepen, the line between witness and participant blurs, forcing both to confront what justice demands, what belief requires, and the perilous distance between true freedom and the illusion of self-determination. By turns devastating, darkly funny, and life-affirming, The Fear of 13 is a powerful exploration of truth and trust, conscience and connection.”
Yarris, to be played by Brody, was the first person sentenced to death in Pennsylvania to be exonerated by DNA evidence. One of his attorneys, Christina Swarns, now serves as Executive Director of the Innocence Project.
The play written by Ferrentino (book writer of Broadway’s The Queen of Versailles) was first produced at the Donmar Warehouse in London in a 2024 production also starring Brody. Both the playwright and the actor were nominated for 2025 Olivier Awards.
English (US) ·