Jesse Tyler Ferguson Debuts at Menier as Truman Capote
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- Jesse Tyler Ferguson makes his Menier Chocolate Factory debut playing Truman Capote in Jay Presson Allen's 'Tru,' with previews from Sept. 19, an opening on Sept. 27, and a run through Nov. 14.
- Rob Ashford directs the production, which marks his second time working with Ferguson after a one-night-only staged reading of 'Tru' as a Tangier, Morocco charity benefit in summer 2024; Ashford called Ferguson 'mesmerizing' and said he 'captured the truth of the man.'
- The piece, built entirely from Capote's own writing and first staged in 1989, is set in December 1975 and finds Capote isolated in his New York residence after a scandal cost him his place in high society; Paul Farnsworth designed the production.
- Ferguson originates the role in the play's first New York revival, staged at House of the Redeemer earlier this year, and already has a full London presence — he currently plays King Herod in 'Jesus Christ Superstar' at the London Palladium and recently bowed in the West End in Sondheim's 'Here We Are' at the National Theatre.
- Ferguson holds a Tony Award for playing Mason Marzac in the Broadway revival of 'Take Me Out' (also an Outer Critics Circle Award) and is widely known for playing Mitchell Pritchett across 11 seasons of ABC's 'Modern Family.'
- Allen, who died in 2006, adapted 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,' 'Cabaret' and 'Prince of the City' for the screen and earned two Academy Award nominations; the Menier's broader season includes 'Midnight at the Never Get' at home, 'Equus' at Theatre Royal Bath, 'The Producers' in the West End and 'Sabrage' at Lafayette London.
Why it matters: The transfer gives the small Menier Chocolate Factory — a fringe venue with a record of launching West End and Broadway transfers — a Tony winner headlining a one-man play just weeks after the production played a brief New York revival at House of the Redeemer, with Ashford reprising the direction he first tested in a 2024 Tangier reading.
