Joshua Jackson, Mahershala Ali & More Set for Lydia R. Diamond's Smart People Off-Broadway

This off-Broadway show is getting more intriguing by the second. Stellar names Joshua Jackson, Mahershala Ali, Anne Son and Tessa Thompson have been tapped for Lydia R. Diamond's Smart People. The previously reported New York premiere production, helmed by Tony winner Kenny Leon (The Wiz Live!), will begin previews on January 26, 2016. Opening night is set for February 11 at Second Stage Theatre’s Tony Kiser Theatre.

Jackson has appeared in the West End in A Life in the Theatre. Currently seen on screen in The Affair, his TV and film resume includes Fringe and Dawson’s Creek. Ali is familiar to many as lobbyist Remy Danton on House of Cards. Other screen credits include The Hunger Games series. Son was a series regular on My Generation; off-Broadway credits include The Trojan Women and The Crucible. Thomson was most recently seen as civil rights activist Diane Nash in Selma; other film credits include Dear White People and For Colored Girls.

The quest for love, achievement and identity is universal, but what role does race play in the story of our lives? On the eve of Obama’s first election, four Harvard intellectuals find themselves entangled in a complex web of social and sexual politics.

Smart People will feature scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, with costume design by Paul Tazewell, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, lighting design by Jason Lyons and projection design by Zach Borovay.

There’s also been an update on the eagerly anticipated new musical Dear Evan Hansen. Featuring music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, book by Steven Levenson, and directed by Michael Greif, the production’s first preview date at Second Stage has been set for March 25, 2016. We will be there!