''All New People'' is a 2011 play by
Zach Braff
Zachary Israel Braff['Scrubs' Star Zach Braff Wows ...](_blank)
set on
Long Beach Island and centers on Charlie, a 35-year-old from Braff's home state of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
.
The play Premiered at
Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...
and subsequently moved to tour the
UK, playing in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
,
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and finally in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, in early 2012.
Plot
The play is set in a trendy beach house, and begins with a
suicide attempt
A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying that a suicide res ...
by Charlie. Emma, an
expat
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
Briton
British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...
, comes in and saves him. She is there to show the property to prospective tenants. Emma infers that her fortuitous arrival was divine intervention, and sets about trying to help Charlie. She calls in Myron, a
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
fire-fighter (and drug dealer) to help. Finally, Kim, an escort girl provided by one of Charlie's friends, arrives.
Charlie announces that he has killed six people, as an explanation for why he was trying to kill himself. As the play progresses, the reasons of how each of the other people came to be there are revealed. In the initial run, this was achieved with a series of projected filmed interludes. Charlie finally reveals how his trauma came about through seeing a pair of ants fighting over a crumb.
Cast
Productions
The initial run was performed at the
Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theater is a theater company founded in 1979 by Robyn Goodman and Carole Rothman and located in Manhattan, New York City. It produces both new plays and revivals of contemporary American plays by new playwrights and established wri ...
and directed by Peter DuBois. The first stage of the UK tour was in Manchester at the
Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
between 8–11 February. The play was then taken to Glasgow playing at the
King's Theatre between 14–18 February, before finally playing in London for 10 weeks at the
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...
from 22 February.
References
{{Reflist
2011 plays
American plays
Comedy plays