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BY NAOMI WALLACE & MARCUS REDIKER
DIRECTED BY RON DANIELS
STARRING MARK POVINELLI

MARCH 14 - APRIL 6 2025

THE SHEEN CENTER 
NEW YORK CITY

MAY 1 - MAY 18 2025
THE SEDGWICK THEATER 
PHILADELPHIA

2025. In the silence of a Quaker meeting house. Benjamin Lay – shepherd, sailor, revolutionary – returns from the grave almost 300 years after his death, as feisty and unpredictable as ever.

The 4ft “David” confronts the “Goliath” of slavery as he demands once again to be to be readmitted into the Quaker community that disowned him for ideas considered dangerous and disruptive.

How far will he go, knowing the cost of protest?

Sweeping across the centuries, The Return of Benjamin Lay is a hallucinatory exploration of the life of a radical who became one of America’s earliest revolutionary abolitionists.

The award-winning and critically acclaimed London production crosses the Atlantic. "An important groundbreaking play" (Closeup Culture) by decorated playwright NAOMI WALLACE and historian MARCUS REDIKER, features "a riveting performance by MARK POVINELLI" (Broadway World), direction by Royal Shakespeare Company Honorary Associate RON DANIELS, and set design by the acclaimed RICCARDO HERNANDEZ.

"Mark Povinelli is amazing"

Michael Billington

★★★★

"A riveting performance by Povinelli"

Broadway World

★★★★★

"An intimate and immersive storytelling masterclass" 

Adventures in Theatreland

★★★★★

"A remarkable piece of storytelling"

Plays to See

★★★★

"A terrific performance"

Reviewsgate

★★★★

"An incredibly beautiful journey along with an amazing actor

North West End

★★★★

"An important groundbreaking play"

Closeup Culture

WINNER

Best Production

Standing Ovation Award

London Pub Theatres

NOMINATION 

Solo Performance In A Play

OffWestEnd Awards

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Mark Povinelli

BENJAMIN LAY

Mark is most known for his critically acclaimed performance as Torvald Helmer in the OBIE award winning production of Mabou Mines Dollhouse (St. Ann’s Warehouse and International Tour) as well as the premiere of Martha Clarke's Belle Epoque (Lincoln Center) in the lead role of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. Other theatre includes performances at the Shakespeare Theater, Children's Theater Company, Radio City Music Hall, Oklahoma Lyric Theater, Will Geer Theatricum and UCLA Live.
 

Film includes Nightmare Alley, Water For Elephants, Mirror Mirror, The Hot Flashes and My Dinner With Herve.
 

Television includes Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Happyish, Boardwalk Empire, Charmed and Mad Dogs.

Mark became the first little person cast as a series regular on a network sitcom in Are You There, Chelsea?

As a noted social activist, in June 2017, Povinelli was elected President of the Little People of America which promotes awareness, advocacy and medical assistance for individuals with forms of dwarfism.

NAOMI WALLACE

CO-WRITER

MARCUS REDIKER

CO-WRITER

RICCARDO HERNANDEZ

SET DESIGNER

RON DANIELS

DIRECTOR

ISOBEL NICOLSON

COSTUME & PROPS DESIGNER

BILL IRWIN 

MOVEMENT DIRECTOR

TBC

LIGHTING DESIGNER

JOHN LEANORD

SOUND DESIGNER

KELLY SCHMIDT 

PRODUCTION MANAGER

TBC 

STAGE MANAGER

TBC

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER

TBC

TECHNICAL MANAGER

PLAYHOUSE CREATURES

THEATER COMPANY

NEW YORK, PRODUCER

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

QUINTESSENCE

THEATER GROUP

PHILADELPHIA, PRODUCER

ALLISON BRESSI

PRODUCER

ARSALAN SATTARI

PRODUCER

THE RETURN OF BENJAMIN LAY WAS FIRST PERFORMED AT THE

FINBOROUGH THEATRE, LONDON (NEIL MCPHERSON, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR),
PRODUCED BY ARSALAN SATTARI PRODUCTIONS

MARK POVINELLI AND TEAM IN REHEARSALS

FOR THE LONDON PRODUCTION

JUNE 2023

MARK POVINELLI AND DIRECTOR RON DANIELS

JUNE 2023

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RON DANIELS, ISOBEL NICOLSON, JOHN LEONARD, MARK POVINELLI, MARCUS REDIKER, AND NAOMI WALLACE, AT FIRST TABLE READ.

LONDON, JUNE 2023

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