Brody and Thompson Debut on Broadway in Death Row Play

Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson will make their Broadway debuts in the play The Fear of 13 at the James Earl Jones Theatre. The show starts performances on March 19 and opens officially on April 15 for a limited run of 16 weeks. It tells the real story of Nick Yarris, a Pennsylvania man who spent over 20 years on death row for a rape and murder he did not commit before DNA evidence set him free. Brody plays Yarris, drawing from his earlier role in the London version of the play.

Background

Nick Yarris grew up in Pennsylvania and ended up convicted in 1982 for the rape and murder of a woman named Linda Lee. He was the first person in Pennsylvania sentenced to death who got exonerated through DNA testing in 2003. Yarris spent 23 years on death row, facing execution multiple times. Instead of fighting for an appeal at one point, he asked the court to set an execution date because he believed it was the only way out of his endless waits and isolation.

The play comes from a 2015 documentary film by David Sington with the same name. That film covers Yarris's time in prison, his unusual court request, and his final release. Playwright Lindsey Ferrentino turned the story into a stage work. It first opened in October 2024 at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Brody starred there as Yarris and earned an Olivier Award nomination for his work. Critics praised the play as one of the strongest new works that year.

Ferrentino has written other plays like Ugly Lies the Bone and Amy and the Orphans. She also wrote the book for the musical The Queen of Versailles, which had a short run on Broadway this season. Director David Cromer, a Tony winner, leads this Broadway version. He directed the London hit Fleabag and other shows. Tessa Thompson joins fresh for Broadway after her role in a modern take on Hedda Gabler last year.

Key Details

Brody won his first Oscar in 2003 as the youngest Best Actor ever for The Pianist. He picked up a second Oscar in 2025 for The Brutalist. He has worked often with Wes Anderson in films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Asteroid City. Brody also played Salvador Dalí in Midnight in Paris and Arthur Miller in Blonde.

Thompson has built a strong film career. She played Valkyrie in the Thor movies and Bianca in the Creed films. Her other roles include Passing and Sorry to Bother You. On stage, she starred in Hedda in 2025. She appears now in the Netflix series His & Hers with Jon Bernthal.

Production and Tickets

The Broadway show transfers from London but with changes. Brody returns as Yarris. Thompson takes a key role, and Cromer directs for the first time on this project. More cast members and crew details will come later. Tickets go on sale in stages. American Express cardholders get presale on January 20 at 10 a.m. ET. Fans can register for presale on January 22 at 10 a.m. ET through TheFearof13Broadway.com. General public sales start January 23 at noon ET.

"The Fear of 13 is one of the best new plays of the year." – WhatsOnStage critic

The production teams up with the Innocence Project. This group uses DNA and science to free wrongfully convicted people. It has helped exonerate over 250 people who spent more than 4,000 years in prison combined. Christina Swarns, one of Yarris's real lawyers, now runs the organization as executive director. The partnership lets audiences learn ways to help prevent wrongful convictions after shows.

What This Means

Bringing The Fear of 13 to Broadway puts a spotlight on wrongful convictions in America. Yarris's case shows how DNA evidence changed death penalty outcomes. Pennsylvania stopped executions in 2015 partly due to concerns over mistakes like his. The Innocence Project points to over 200 people freed from death row nationwide since 1973 through such evidence.

Brody and Thompson entering Broadway adds big names to the stage. Brody's London turn got strong reviews, and his Oscar wins draw crowds. Thompson's rising profile from blockbusters and indie films brings new fans to theater. The limited 16-week run at James Earl Jones Theatre, a house named for the late actor, fits the play's intense one-man style expanded for Broadway.

Yarris himself has spoken about his years locked up. He described endless days in a small cell, the fear of execution, and the shock of freedom after so long. His story pushes questions about justice, prison conditions, and second chances. The play keeps that front and center without easy answers.

Ferrentino's script mixes Yarris's words with drama to show his mind during those decades. Brody's performance in London captured that raw edge, blending humor with pain from Yarris's own accounts. Cromer's direction aims to keep that power on the larger Broadway stage.

This show joins a busy 2025-2026 Broadway season with star-driven works. It stands out for tying entertainment to real-world action through the Innocence Project. People attending can sign up for alerts on cases or push for laws against wrongful convictions. Yarris's exoneration took years of testing old evidence that finally cleared him. His Pennsylvania case marked a turn for how states handle death row proof.

The James Earl Jones Theatre holds about 1,100 seats, so tickets will move fast with Brody and Thompson attached. Past shows there like The Piano Lesson drew praise. This one builds on London's success while reaching American audiences closer to Yarris's home state.