Jessica Chastain will return to Broadway for 16 weeks in 'Lost Lear'

Jessica Chastain will return to Broadway in Dan Colley’s new play "Lost Lear," starring alongside Corey Stoll and Michael Urie, producers announced Wednesday.

The production marks Chastain’s first appearance in a new Broadway play. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," following Oscar nominations for "The Help" and "Zero Dark Thirty."

The limited 16-week engagement begins March 29, 2027, at the Booth Theatre. Opening night follows on April 23. Producers said they would announce further casting later.

Chastain will portray Joy, a former actress with dementia who believes she has returned to rehearsals for "King Lear."

Stoll plays her estranged son, Conor, who comes to visit prepared to say things he has withheld for years. Urie plays Liam, a nurse at Joy’s care home who follows her lead and assumes the roles she needs.

"But if he wants her to hear him, he'll have to step into the scene," the production’s official logline says of Conor.

Colley will direct the play he wrote, making his Broadway debut in both roles.

"I never imagined, when we first made Lost Lear, that it would one day be on Broadway – and I've imagined some pretty wild things," Colley said in a statement.

Colley said he was thrilled "to share this piece with New York audiences and to discover new facets of the work through collaborating with this remarkable company of artists."

Colley’s play premiered at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2022, then toured the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand. At the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it played the Traverse Theatre and won a Scotsman Fringe First award.

Chastain last appeared on Broadway as Nora Helmer in the 2023 revival of Henrik Ibsen’s "A Doll’s House." Jamie Lloyd directed the production, which brought her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play. Her Broadway debut came in the 2012 revival of "The Heiress."

The previous week, Chastain teased her return to Broadway on "Today" while promoting her Netflix film "Heartland," The Hollywood Reporter reported.

Shana Feste directed "Heartland," one of Chastain’s next projects alongside the Apple TV+ limited series "Off Weeks," in which she stars opposite Ben Stiller. Chastain is now in production on Netflix drama series "The Retrievals" with Emilia Jones and Amy Ryan.

Stoll earned a 2024 Tony Award nomination for acting opposite Sarah Paulson in "Appropriate," according to Deadline. He received a Golden Globe nomination for playing Peter Russo in "House of Cards" and appeared with Chastain in "Scenes from a Marriage." His Broadway credits also include "Henry IV," "Old Acquaintance" and "A View From the Bridge."

Urie most recently starred in the comedy "Oh, Mary!" on Broadway and in the West End. HBO will broadcast a filmed version in 2027.

His role as Brian in Apple TV+’s "Shrinking" has earned him two Emmy nominations. Urie first rose to prominence playing Marc St. James on ABC’s "Ugly Betty."

Seaview, MarketStall and Mass Productions are producing "Lost Lear" with Pam Hurst-Della Pietra & Stephen Della Pietra. Scott Pask is responsible for production design, Heather Gilbert for lighting and Daniel McAuley for original music.