“Is This a Room” and “Dana H.” will now play two weeks past their initial closing notice, producers announced Wednesday.
The plays, which are running in repertory at the Lyceum Theatre, recently set closing dates of Nov. 13 for “Is This a Room” and Nov. 14 for “Dana H.” Due to increased demand, “Is This a Room” will now play through Nov. 27 and “Dana H.” will play through Nov. 28.
Producers Matt Ross, Sally Horchow and Dori Berinstein said the closing announcement led to an increase in ticket sales.
“We are completely overwhelmed by the response to our closing announcement,” the producers said. “The shows have been playing to the packed houses they deserve and we are so happy to be able to keep this run going for another two weeks. We hope audiences will continue to come out and experience these two extraordinary plays for themselves.”
Both plays were originally scheduled for limited runs ending Jan. 16, 2022.
The two plays were the first to announce a closing date on Broadway since the industry’s reopening, leading to concern about the fate of this season’s new plays. At the time, the “Is This a Room” and “Dana H.” producers said ticket sales were increasing, but not enough to offset production costs. Additionally, the production did not have government funding, such as a Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.
While rare, this is not the first Broadway production to extend past its initial closing notice. “Indecent” notably ran six weeks after its initial closing notice in 2017. In another example, “Beetlejuice” was not able to extend past its closing date, but saw its ticket sales increase and eventually lead to another run on Broadway this spring.
Ross, Horchow and Berinstein made the announcement on stage after Wednesday evening’s performance of “Is This a Room.” They were joined by “Dana H.” playwright Lucas Hnath, its star Deirdre O’Connell and “Is This a Room'” director Tina Satter.
The producers emphasized the role audience members had played in extending the run and continue to have in sustaining the industry.
“You have the power to make a difference, not just in the preservation of these plays, but in the renaissance of Broadway, the revival of arts and culture at large and the triumphant comeback of New York City,” Horchow said.
