Steven Pasquale Directs Clifford Odets’ Waiting for Lefty in CSC’s 2026-27 Season

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The season will also feature the New York premiere of Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, plus more.

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Classic Stage Company has revealed their 2026-27 slate of productions for CSC’s 59th season.

"As we close out an incredible year at CSC, I'm thrilled to be diving into an exciting 2026-27 season that is full of classics with a twist,” said Jill Rafson, Producing Artistic Director. “This year, we're revisiting iconic works and infusing them with the energy of today’s most innovative theatrical artists. By bringing their unique multidisciplinary talents to these storied texts, our collaborators are showing off classic plays in vibrantly fresh ways. Expect a season defined by soaring music, bold theatricality, and sharp comedy. These three productions are designed to make you think, feel, and laugh—leaving you galvanized to ask new questions and share the experience with everyone you know. It is an irresistible, deeply satisfying journey, and I cannot wait to welcome you back for CSC's next chapter."

CSC’s season will begin in October 2026 with Clifford Odets ’ Waiting for Lefty, with original music and arrangements by Yeller Tooth ( Sahar Milani and Cameron Scoggins ), and directed by Steven Pasquale (CSC’s Assassins, American Son). The cast will feature Tony Award nominee Tala Ashe (English), Raffi Barsoumian (CSC’s Macbeth, Les Liaisons Dangereuses), Greg Hildreth (I Can Get It For You Wholesale, The Queen of Versailles), and Tony Award nominee Conrad Ricamora (Oh, Mary!; Here Lies Love), with additional casting to be announced.

In February 2027, CSC will present the New York premiere of Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, with a book & original concept by Ashley Robinson (Brokeback Mountain), music by Dan Gillespie Sells (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), and lyrics by Shakina (“Difficult People”), based on the play by Ed Graczyk . Produced by special arrangement with Broadway & Beyond Theatricals, the production will be choreographed by Nancy Renee Braun (All Out) and directed by Giovanna Sardelli (Describe the Night).

CSC’s season will conclude in May 2027 with the New York premiere of Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret, by Pulitzer finalist Talene Monahon (Meet the Cartozians), adapted from The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret by Susanna Centlivre (1714). Wonder! will also feature a new, original song by K-Pop Demon Hunters Oscar-winner Mark Sonnenblick .

CSC will also continue the Rediscovery Readings series throughout the season, this year celebrating the "neo-classics", late 20th century works that resonate today. There will be three Rediscovery Readings performed across the season. Performance schedules, casting and full creative teams will be announced at a later date.

CSC will also bring back their FlexPass subscription packages, offering exclusive access to secure guaranteed seating before the general public. With three different FlexPass packages available, you can tailor your CSC experience to fit your schedule and budget, so that you get the most value at the price that works for you. Plus, each CSC FlexPass package comes with a slew of perks, including but not limited to priority booking, no-cost exchanges, and access to discounts at favorite restaurants and businesses in the neighborhood.

Details for the 26/27 season:

By Clifford Odets Original Music & Arrangements by Yeller Tooth Directed by Steven Pasquale Featuring Tala Ashe , Raffi Barsoumian , Greg Hildreth , and Conrad Ricamora October-November 2026

One room. One choice. One movement. Exploited, exhausted, and pushed to the edge, the taxi drivers of Depression-era New York City gather to make a choice that will change their lives forever. But as they wait for their leader, the tension reaches a fever pitch. Marking the directing debut of acclaimed actor Steven Pasquale , this innovative production uses music and movement to breathe fresh life into Clifford Odets ' 1935 masterpiece, transforming the theater into a high-stakes union hall. Both then and now, speaking truth to power can come at a deadly cost. Don't miss this visceral collision of classic social protest and contemporary sound. The clock is ticking - are you with us?

New York Premiere Book & Original Concept by Ashley Robinson Music by Dan Gillespie Sells Lyrics by Shakina Based on the play by Ed Graczyk Choreographed by Nancy Renee Braun Directed by Giovanna Sardelli February-March 2027

In 1975, the "Disciples of James Dean" gather at a dusty Texas 5 & Dime store to mark the 20th anniversary of the rebel icon's death. What begins as a nostalgic tribute soon unearths a web of long-buried truths, shattered illusions, and the heartbreaking reality of living in the shadow of a legend. But through the unraveling comes something unexpected: a fragile kind of grace, as laughter cuts through the pain and old wounds find room to breathe. Based on the cult hit play and 1982 film—both starring Cher and directed by the acclaimed Robert Altman —this new musical adaptation features music by Dan Gillespie Sells (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), book and original concept by Ashley Robinson (Brokeback Mountain), and lyrics by Shakina ("Difficult People"). Together, they bring soulful harmony and raw emotion to Ed Graczyk ’s classic story—an aching, tender reminder that even in the wreckage of memory, there’s connection, catharsis, and the quiet comfort of not being alone.

Come Back to the 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean had its world premiere at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley ( Giovanna Sardelli , Artistic Director) in 2025.

New York Premiere By Talene Monahon Adapted from The Wonder: A Woman Keeps a Secret by Susanna Centlivre (1714) May-June 2027

All hands on deck for chaos! A luxury voyage turns into a high-seas heist aboard the Aqua Royale: Paris to Portugal. Recklessly and unfaithfully adapted by playwright Talene Monahon (Meet the Cartozians) from Susanna Centlivre’s 1714 classic farce of the same name, Wonder! catapults the action (and the feminism) to 2027. A money-grubbing matriarch, a lonely toilet maid and a lascivious lady-detective round out this cast of characters. Poor Susanna is shuddering in her grave. Deeply bold (in a female way), Wonder! asks the provocative question: was anyone asking for this?

Wonder! will also feature a new, original song by K-Pop Demon Hunters Oscar-winner Mark Sonnenblick .

Wonder! was originally commissioned by the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation BOLD Ventures; Northern Stage, Carol Dunne , Artistic Director/Jason Smoller, Managing Director; and Classic Stage Company , Jill Rafson, Artistic Director.

2026-2027

This season, the Rediscovery Readings series steps away from the established canon to shine a light on the "Neo-classics” - the bold, subversive, and brilliant plays of the late 20th century that resonate today and beyond. These gems will remind us how the playwrights of the past 50 years experimented with form, offered diverse perspectives, and challenged the status quo in a time of seismic cultural shifts. This season’s Rediscovery Readings will remind us that the category of "classic" is ever-growing. There will be three Rediscovery Readings performed across the season.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Steven-Pasquale-Directed-CLIFFORD-ODETS-WAITING-FOR-LEFTY-and-More-Set-for-CSC-2627-Season-20260512)._