The Broadway production of Room, the stage adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel, has been postponed indefinitely, the play’s producers announced in a news release.
The news of the postponement comes a month before the play was scheduled to open at the James Earl Jones Theatre on April 17.
“In the midst of our rehearsals we were informed by one of our Lead Producers that due to personal reasons, they did not intend to fulfill their obligations to the production,” producer Hunter Arnold said in a statement. “We are incredibly disappointed not to be able to open this remarkable production at this time and are especially heartbroken for our incredibly talented cast and creative team who were hard at work in the rehearsal room.”
Donoghue’s novel follows a young boy who is held captive in a room from birth and later escapes with his mother. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the book “wrenching, as befits the grim subject matter, but also tender, touching and at times unexpectedly funny.” It was adapted into a 2015 movie starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay; the film earned four Academy Award nominations.
The stage adaptation of Room, written by Donoghue, premiered in London in 2017 and was later staged in Ireland, Scotland, and Canada. The cast of the U.S. production included Tony Award–winning actor Adrienne Warren (Tina), Ephraim Sykes (Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations), Tina Benko (The Rose Tattoo), and Michael Genet (Wicked). Cora Bisset was the director.
Producers Sam Julyan and James Yeoburn said in a statement, “We truly believe that today’s disappointing news will not be the end of Room on stage.”
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
