World Premiere of Sharyn Rothstein’s By the Water Opens Off-Broadway

The world premiere of Sharyn Rothstein’s By the Water opens officially on November 18, starring Vyto Ruginis and Deirdre O’Connell. The off-Broadway production, directed by Hal Brooks, is part of the Manahattan Theatre Club and Ars Nova’s commissioning partnership, The Writer’s Room. The play will run through December 7 at New York City Center—Stage II.

By the Water takes place after Hurricane Sandy has ravaged the lifelong home of Marty (Ruginis) and Mary (O’Connell) Murphy. The storm has ripped apart more than just the walls: with their neighbors too devastated to stay, the couple's beloved Staten Island community is in danger of disappearing forever. Determined to rebuild, Marty wages a campaign to save his neighborhood and his home, but when the Murphys' sons arrive to help their parents dig out, past betrayals come rushing to the surface.

In addition to Ruginis and O’Connell, the cast includes Cassie Beck as Emily Mancini, Quincy Dunn-Baker as Sal Murphy, Charlotte Maier as Andrew Carter, Tom Pelphrey as Brian Murphy and Ethan Phillips as Philip Carter.