Executive Overview
The New Group has officially announced its complete casting and creative team for one of the most anticipated theatrical events of the upcoming Off-Broadway season: a bold, modern-leaning adaptation of Patrick Hamilton’s classic psychological thriller, Rope. Conceived by writer and director Gordon Greenberg, this world-premieres adaptation breathes fresh, chilling life into a theatrical text that has long fascinated audiences and creators alike.
Directing the production is The New Group’s artistic collaborator Scott Elliott, whose vision promises to amplify the claustrophobic terror, intellectual arrogance, and moral decay at the heart of Hamilton’s narrative. Previews for the limited engagement are slated to begin on October 13, leading up to an official opening night on November 3 at Off-Broadway’s historic Theater at St. Clement’s. The engagement is currently scheduled to run through December 6.
At the center of this production is a high-profile, television- and film-recognized ensemble cast. Cameron Monaghan (Shameless, Gotham) and Corey Fogelmanis (Girl Meets World) star as Garrett Stern and Nate Singer, respectively—two brilliant, dangerously disaffected Princeton graduate students who engineer the ultimate intellectual exercise: committing murder simply because they believe they possess the superior intellect to get away with it. They then celebrate their horrific handiwork by hosting an exclusive dinner party in their chic Turtle Bay apartment, casually serving food off the very trunk that conceals the corpse of their victim.
They are joined by an extraordinary roster of stage and screen talent, including Elizabeth Gillies (Dynasty, 13) as Leila, Jason Butler Harner (Ozark, The Crucible) as the intellectually formidable Rupert Cadell, Graham Phillips (13, The Good Wife) as Richard Raglan, and James Waterston (Dead Poets Society) as Judge Kentley.
Beyond its stellar cast, The New Group has assembled a Tony Award-winning and industry-leading creative team. With scenic design by Derek McLane, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Leah Gelpe, and fight/intimacy direction by UnkleDave’s Fight-House, this production of Rope is poised to be an artistic masterclass in tension, atmosphere, and psychological realism. Produced by special arrangement with Mark Cortale and Jeffrey Mahshie, this staging of Rope promises to be a definitive theatrical highlight of the autumn season.
Detailed Chronology and Production Timeline
The Genesis of a New Adaptation
The journey toward this world premiere has been meticulously orchestrated over the past several years. Gordon Greenberg’s reimagining of Patrick Hamilton’s 1929 script does not merely dust off a historical relic; it interrogates the timeless nature of nihilism, youthful hubris, and the intoxicating danger of intellectual elitism. Greenberg, working closely with The New Group’s leadership, identified the latent contemporary anxieties embedded within the text—particularly how modern media, hyper-individualism, and detached intellectualism can warp young minds into committing atrocities for sport.
When The New Group officially optioned the project, artistic director Scott Elliott immediately signed on to direct, recognizing the material’s alignment with the company’s mission of producing provocative, socially resonant, and morally complex theatre.
Pre-Production, Casting, and Rehearsals
Casting, handled by Geoff Josselson Casting’s Josselson and Felicia Rudolph, required a delicate balance of youthful charisma and deep psychological gravitas. The characters of Garrett Stern and Nate Singer must project an effortless, ivy-league charm that gradually peels away to reveal sociopathic emptiness. The casting of Cameron Monaghan and Corey Fogelmanis secures a magnetic, dynamic central pairing. Monaghan’s extensive background in playing psychologically complex figures (such as his dual roles in Gotham and his nuanced work in Shameless) provides a solid foundation for Garrett’s chilling bravado. Fogelmanis, transitioning seamlessly from early television success into challenging theatrical work, brings a subtle, unsettling intensity to Nate Singer.
Similarly, securing seasoned stage and screen actors like Jason Butler Harner to play Rupert Cadell—the brilliant, cynical mastermind whose teachings inadvertently inspire the murder—was a critical coup for the production. Rehearsals are scheduled to commence in early September in New York City, where the cast and creative team will spend six intensive weeks exploring the labyrinthine ethical dilemmas and rapid-fire dialogue of Greenberg’s script.
Key Milestones Leading to Opening Night
- Early September: Table reads and intensive dramaturgical work begin in Manhattan rehearsal studios.
- October 13: The first public preview performance commences at the Theater at St. Clement’s, allowing the creative team to fine-tune pacing, technical cues, and audience reactions.
- November 3: The official opening night gala performance, drawing industry insiders, critics, and theatre luminaries to Hell’s Kitchen.
- December 6: The final scheduled performance of the strictly limited engagement, marking what producers hope will be a sold-out run with potential future industry ramifications.
Supporting Context and Historical Metrics
The True-Crime Roots: The Leopold and Loeb Case
To truly understand the weight of Rope, one must look back nearly a century to the infamous 1924 Chicago murder of 14-year-old Bobby Franks. The perpetrators, Nathan Leopold Jr. and Richard Loeb—two wealthy, highly intelligent University of Chicago law students—abducted and murdered a young boy simply to prove they could execute the "perfect crime" and demonstrate their supposed intellectual superiority over the laws of man and morality.
The case riveted the American public, not only due to the senseless brutality of the act but because of the defendants’ chilling lack of remorse. Their defense was famously undertaken by legendary attorney Clarence Darrow, whose historic summation spared them the death penalty, resulting instead in life sentences. This real-life horror fundamentally altered the American cultural consciousness, demonstrating that education and privilege were no safeguards against profound moral depravity.
Patrick Hamilton and the 1929 Play
British playwright and novelist Patrick Hamilton was deeply struck by the psychological implications of the Leopold and Loeb case. In 1929, he translated these dark themes into his London stage thriller, Rope (produced in the United States under the title Rope’s End). Hamilton’s masterstroke was structural: he set the entire play in real-time within a single apartment drawing room. The audience becomes an unwilling accomplice, watching the murderers mingle with their victim’s grieving relatives while the body sits mere feet away in a wooden chest.
Alfred Hitchcock’s 1948 Cinematic Innovation
In 1948, legendary filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock adapted Hamilton’s play into one of the most daring cinematic experiments in Hollywood history. Starring John Dall, Farley Granger, and James Stewart, Hitchcock shot the film to appear as if it were a single, continuous, unbroken take, utilizing long, uninterrupted camera movements and concealed cuts.
While Hitchcock’s film became a classic of suspense cinema, Greenberg’s new stage adaptation seeks to return the material to its theatrical roots while examining it through a contemporary lens. By stripping away cinematic artifice, the live stage production forces audiences to confront the actors’ breathing presence, heightening the visceral discomfort of the narrative.
Venue Profile: Theater at St. Clement’s
The production will take place at the Theater at St. Clement’s, located at 423 West 46th Street in the heart of Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. Known for hosting daring Off-Broadway works that require intimacy and high-impact staging, the venue’s architectural layout offers a uniquely enveloping experience. With Derek McLane’s scenic design transforming the intimate space into a chic, hyper-stylized Turtle Bay apartment, the audience will feel as though they are sitting right inside the deadly dinner party alongside the unsuspecting guests.
Official Statements and Industry Insights
The Vision of the Creative Team
While formal press conferences are rolling out closer to the preview window, insights from the artistic personnel underscore the gravity of this revival. Director Scott Elliott has frequently spoken about The New Group’s commitment to examining the "darker machinery of human desire and intellect."
In production notes shared with investors and creative stakeholders, Gordon Greenberg emphasized the relevance of the text in today’s cultural climate:
"We live in an era where intellectual detachment, cynicism, and the gamification of morality are alarmingly common. Garrett and Nate are not merely monsters from a 1920s true-crime ledger; they are archetypes of a mindset that treats human life as collateral damage in the pursuit of personal superiority. Bringing this story to the stage right now allows us to look directly into the mirror of our own cultural anxieties."
Cast Perspectives
Cameron Monaghan, speaking briefly on the challenges of stepping into the role of Garrett Stern, noted the psychological rigor required for the production:
"What makes Garrett and Nate so terrifying is that they aren’t grunting, uneducated villains—they are charming, well-read, articulate young men who have intellectually unmoored themselves from empathy. Playing that requires finding the twisted logic that makes their actions make sense inside their own heads."
Elizabeth Gillies, returning to her theatrical roots following a celebrated run on television, expressed enthusiasm for returning to the New York stage:
"The New Group has always been a home for fearless, unflinching storytelling. To dive into a psychological thriller of this caliber, surrounded by artists of this magnitude, is a dream project. Leila’s perspective in this room adds a fascinating layer of tension that audiences won’t see coming."
Future Outlook and Industry Impact
What This Means for the Off-Broadway Landscape
The theatrical landscape of New York City relies heavily on Off-Broadway institutions like The New Group to take risks that commercial Broadway houses often bypass. By mounting a high-profile, star-studded psychological thriller just as the competitive autumn season heats up, The New Group is signaling a robust appetite for intellectually stimulating, dark dramatic work.
Industry analysts are already projecting strong ticket sales and high demand for the limited eight-week engagement. The cross-pollination of television stars (such as Monaghan, Gillies, Harner, and Fogelmanis) with top-tier theatrical designers (McLane, Zuber, Croiter) creates a potent commercial and artistic draw that bridges the gap between mainstream pop culture and high-art theatregoers.
Potential for Extension and Beyond
While the production is strictly limited through December 6, strong critical reception could easily position Rope for an extension or spark conversations about regional and international transfers. Furthermore, as streaming platforms and audiences continue an insatiable cultural obsession with true-crime narratives, Greenberg’s adaptation arrives at the absolute cultural apex of the genre’s popularity.
By grounding a sensational true-crime premise in theatrical craftsmanship, stellar performances, and sharp directorial vision, The New Group’s Rope promises to be one of the most talked-about cultural touchstones of the New York theatre season.
Production Fact Sheet
- Rope
- Playwright: Patrick Hamilton
- New Adaptation By: Gordon Greenberg
- Director: Scott Elliott
- Theatre: Theater at St. Clement’s (423 West 46th Street, New York, NY)
- First Preview: October 13
- Opening Night: November 3
- Closing Date: December 6
- Cast:
- Cameron Monaghan as Garrett Stern
- Corey Fogelmanis as Nate Singer
- Elizabeth Gillies as Leila
- Jason Butler Harner as Rupert Cadell
- Graham Phillips as Richard Raglan
- James Waterston as Judge Kentley
- Casting Directors: Geoff Josselson Casting (Geoff Josselson & Felicia Rudolph)
- Creative Team:
- Scenic Design: Derek McLane
- Costume Design: Catherine Zuber
- Lighting Design: Jeff Croiter
- Sound Design: Leah Gelpe
- Fight/Intimacy Direction: UnkleDave’s Fight-House
- Production Stage Manager: Valerie A. Peterson
- Production Supervisor: Five OHM
- Producers: Mark Cortale and Jeffrey Mahshie
- Presented By: The New Group
- Official Website: TheNewGroup.org
