John Patrick Shanley’s play, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, is scheduled for an Off-Broadway production later this year, with Christopher Abbott and Aubrey Plaza in the lead roles. 

The play was first staged in 1984, starring June Stein and a young John Turturro, and has since gained a cult following in regional theaters and drama schools across the United States.

Although Christopher Abbott and Aubrey Plaza are both accomplished actors, it may come as a surprise that they chose to perform in an Off-Broadway production of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea instead of on Broadway. However, this decision was made intentionally.

“I hate going to midtown, so to be able to walk out every night of the Lortel will make me less angry,” Abbott explained. “Also, we want an intimate theater experience for the audience, and for a clandestine feeling when you are there.”

Both actors have some familiarity with the play. Aubrey Plaza had witnessed snippets of it during her acting classes. On the other hand, Abbott believes that Danny’s character is one of those roles that every actor wishes to explore, much like Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire.

But the two are excited to perform the iconic show for different reasons. For Plaza, it’s about the fact that the show felt “familiar.” “It’s heartbreaking, it’s funny and most importantly it’s a love story,” she said. “I want to do a love story.” And for Abbott, getting to work with Ward and Plaza was a major part of the appeal: “It’s a beautiful play with people I love.”