Brendan Fraser, Brian J. Smith to Star in Off-Broadway’s ‘Grangeville’

Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser will unite with writer Samuel D. Hunter again for the Off-Broadway production “Grangeville.” The actor previously played in the 2022 screen adaptation of Hunter’s 2012 play “The Whale,” which earned him an Oscar. Tony nominee Brian J. Smith will join Fraser in the cast, portraying his half-brother.

Helmed by director Jack Serio, “Grangeville” will begin performances on February 4, 2025 and run through March 16 at Signature Theatre.

The play follows the story of two brothers from a remote Idaho town, who begin to keep in touch years later over their sick mother. Fraser plays the older brother, Jerry, who still lives in the hometown, while Smith portrays the younger brother Arnold, an artist residing in Rotterdam. They reconnect over the phone and video chat, and try to overcome their physical distance as well as social differences.

The play “explores the fallibility of memory” and “the stories we tell to make sense of our suffering, and the complexity of forgiveness,” a press release notes.

The creative team features scenic design by dots, costume design by Ricky Reynoso, lighting design by Stacey DeRosier, sound design by Chris Darbassie, and dramaturgy by John Baker.

Audience know Smith from various films, TV shows, and plays like “The Matrix Resurrections,” “Sense8,” “The Glass Menagerie,” and “The Columnist.” The actor received both Tony and Olivier nominations for his performances with the play’s 2013 Broadway revival and the West End engagement.

Other than “The Whale,”  Fraser’s film credits include “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” “The Mummy” trilogy, “George of the Jungle,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” and more.

“Brendan is one of my favorite actors and favorite human beings,” Hunter told Vulture regarding the upcoming play. “I’m beyond lucky that I get to work with him again, this time on something brand-new for the stage, at Signature Theatre, which has been a real creative home for me. This story, these characters, and the world they come from mean a lot to me, and Brendan brings such warmth, humor, and painful humanity to the role.”

Casting of the play is by Caparelliotis Casting’s David Caparelliotis, Joe Gery, and Elena Sgouros.

Visit signaturetheatre.org for getting early access to the play and more information.