Girl, Interrupted Musical Opens Off‑Broadway
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- Public Theater is staging the off‑Broadway debut of Girl, Interrupted until July 12, presenting a two‑hour, intermission‑free performance.
- Juliana Canfield plays Susanna Kaysen, while King Princess makes her stage debut as Lisa, a sociopathic patient.
- Angelica Zollo produced the musical, inspired by her teenage discovery of the memoir; her mother Barbara Broccoli, longtime James Bond franchise controller, was also involved.
- Aimee Mann contributed songs released on the 2021 album Queens of the Summer Hotel, but she is no longer actively involved in the production.
- Martyna Majok wrote the book, framing the show as a memory play that shifts between older and younger Susanna, and collaborated with director Jo Bonney.
- Sonya Tayeh provided choreography for the minimalist set, which includes a circular platform and limited props such as chairs, cots, and a piano.
- King Princess said the musical’s relevance to today’s mental‑health dialogue and drew parallels between 1960s TV coverage and modern phone‑driven media.
Why it matters: By foregrounding female and queer mental‑health stories on a mainstream stage, the musical expands representation and gives King Princess a high‑profile debut, shifting theater audiences toward more diverse narratives. The production also reinvigorates Susanna Kaysen’s 1993 memoir for contemporary audiences, highlighting ongoing relevance of mental‑health discourse.
