The Public Theater’s Martinson Hall in New York will host a fresh stage version of Girl, Interrupted, and the production has drawn attention with a striking casting choice. The singer-songwriter King Princess will make her theatre debut in the role of Lisa, the fierce and mercurial character popularised on screen by Angelina Jolie. Based on Susanna Kaysen’s 1993 book, the piece is being adapted as a play with music that leans into both theatrical storytelling and contemporary songwriting.
This new staging will begin previews on 13 May, with opening night set for 4 June, and a scheduled run through 21 June. The creative team brings together Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok for the book, Grammy-recognised musician Aimee Mann for original music, and director Jo Bonney. The convergence of literary source material, songcraft and direction signals an approach that seeks to reframe the memoir’s themes while remaining faithful to its emotional core.
Production details and creative vision
The adaptation arrives with an experienced theatre crew and a specific musical lineage. Martyna Majok has written the stage book, and much of the musical material originates from Aimee Mann‘s recent work, linking the score to pre-existing songs repurposed for the stage. The show credits include choreography by Sonya Tayeh, scenic design by dots, costume design by Sarah Laux, lighting by Heather Gilbert, and sound design by Dan Moses Schreier. This collaborative design team aims to create a textured environment that supports both intimate scenes and musical passages.
Music and staging
The production builds on the idea that music can deepen psychological portraiture: the score by Aimee Mann will function as an emotional landscape rather than simply decorative accompaniment. With music direction and orchestrations supervised by Todd Almond and Andrea Grody respectively, the musical elements are integrated into the fabric of the piece. The choice to adapt songs into a theatrical context suggests a hybrid form that blends concert sensibility with dramatic action, keeping the memoir’s interior life central to the experience.
Cast and character assignments
The company is led by Juliana Canfield as Susanna, and the ensemble includes Emily Skinner as Dr. Wick, Ta’Rea Campbell as Valerie, Gabi Campo as Tori, Manoel Felciano as Man, Mia Pak as Grace, Katherine Reis as Daisy, Sally Shaw as Polly, and Lauren Jeanne Thomas as Judy. Into that group steps King Princess in the role of Lisa, a character whose charisma and volatility have made her a focal point in prior adaptations. Understudies and a full creative support team round out a production designed for a concentrated run at The Public Theater.
Role history and cultural weight
Lisa carries considerable pop-cultural resonance after Angelina Jolie’s Academy Award-winning portrayal in the 1999 film. The character has been repeatedly analysed for her magnetic destructiveness and the complicated bond she shares with Susanna. By casting a contemporary queer musician in the part, the production gestures toward new readings while preserving the character’s unpredictability. The result is not an erasure of earlier interpretations but an opportunity to surface different dimensions of the role within a live theatrical context.
Why this casting matters
Bringing King Princess into the fold is significant for several reasons. As an artist whose songwriting often explores identity, intensity and self-definition, the performer can offer an embodied perspective that aligns with existing queer readings of the source material. The presence of an openly queer musician in a role long discussed in online communities and fan discourse helps move those conversations from the margins into the production itself. This casting invites audiences to witness a familiar story through a lens that acknowledges and amplifies the relationships at its center.
For those tracking modern theatre that intersects with contemporary music and queer representation, the production promises to be an event of interest. Tickets are available for performances from 13 May to 21 June at The Public Theater’s Martinson Hall; the run offers a compact window to see a reimagined Girl, Interrupted that honors Susanna Kaysen’s book while foregrounding new artistic voices.