Bess Wohl's American Hero & Tanya Saracho's Mala Hierba Set for New York Debuts at Second Stage

Two new American plays are set to have their New York premieres as part of Second Stage Theatre’s twelfth annual Uptown Series this summer. First up will be Bess Wohl’s American Hero, directed by Leigh Silverman. This will be followed by Mala Hierba, penned by Tanya Saracho (HBO’s Looking and Girls) and directed by Jerry Ruiz. Both productions will be run at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre.

American Hero is a supersized dark comedy about life, liberty and the pursuit of sandwiches. The show will run May 13 through June 8, with an opening night set for May 22. At a toasted subs franchise in the local mall, three up and coming "sandwich artists"—a teenager, a single mom, and a downsized refugee from corporate banking—are perfecting the mustard to cheese ratio according to the company manual. But when their shot at the American dream is interrupted by a series of strange events, they become unlikely allies in a post-recession world.

Mala Hierba will run July 14 through August 10, with an opening night set for July 24. Liliana has a sparkle few can deny and no one can resist. The trophy wife of a border magnate living in Texas, she’s seemingly impeccable. But beneath that polished exterior lies a fierce determination to survive at any cost. When Liliana’s true desires break the surface, she’ll have to decide between the value of obligation versus the price of freedom.