Independent Arts News Reporting Heisenberg, A New Play, by Simon Stephens, Directed Mercedes Ruehl
Reported on Monday, April 21, 2025.
Pictured Above: Mercedes Ruehl. Photo Credits: Contributed.
NEWSROOM POST: NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Heisenberg, a new play, by Simon Stephens, directed by Tony and Oscar award-winning Mercedes Ruehl in her directorial debut. Runs May 1st – May 11th, 2025.
New York, NY – New Music Theatre Project & Rapeteta Theatre Company are thrilled to present Heisenberg, a new play, by Simon Stephens, directed by Tony and Oscar award-winning Mercedes Ruehl in her directorial debut.
Written by Tony Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Heisenberg is an extraordinary play that explores the terrifying, exhilarating nature of intimate human connection. A chance encounter between two strangers in a London train station sets off a chain of events that defy logic and expectation, leading them into an exhilarating, life-changing relationship.
Pictured Above: Michael S. Horowitz and T.M. Rawlins. Photo Credits: Contributed.
Mercedes Ruehl, whose career has cut an original and notable path through the theater, film, and television world of her time, brings her singular vision to this production, shaping a uniquely moving theatrical experience.
Heisenberg, produced by New Music Theatre Project (Chris Dieman, Artistic Director) and Rapeteta Theatre, will include Michael S. Horowitz (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The History Boys, I Never Sang For My Father, Underneath the Lintel) and, making her NYC stage debut, T.M. Rawlins (Los Angeles: The Charm of Making; Sing Me That Leonard Cohen Song Again; Homebody/Kabul; Detroit: The Great Nebula in Orion, Orson’s Shadow; The Maiden’s Prayer).
Pictured Above: Candid shots during NY rehearsals – Michael S. Horowitz and T.M. Rawlins. Photo Credit: Grace DiNatale.
This production features a veteran creative team with lighting design by Mitch Fenton (Harry Connick Jr., A Celebration of Cole Porter at The Met Opera, Hit City, MsTRIAL Off-Broadway), costume design by Lisa Zinni, sound design and technical direction by Eric Nightengale, with dialect coach Amanda Quaid and Celeste Gimonet as the Associate Producer. Performances are at the Factory Series at the Chain Theatre (312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018) from May 1 through May 11, 2025, with performances running Thursday through Sunday.
Pictured Above: Candid shots during NY rehearsals – Michael S. Horowitz and T.M. Rawlins. Photo Credit: Grace DiNatale.
BIOS:
Mercedes Ruehl
Mercedes Ruehl is an award-winning stage, film and television actress. She won an Academy® Award and a Golden Globe®, as well as a Chicago Film Critics® Award and Los Angeles Film Critics® Award for her role as Anne Napolitano in Terry Gilliam’s film “The Fisher King.” Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers,” earned Ruehl Tony,® Helen Hayes, and Drama Desk® Awards . She received Tony nominations for her roles in “The Shadowbox” and Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize winning “The Goat, or Who is Sylvia”. She won Obie® Awards for “Woman Before A Glass”, a one-woman show about the life of actress Peggy Guggenheim, as well as Christopher Durang’s “The Marriage of Bette and Boo”.
She was awarded The Clarence Derwent Award for creating the role of Kate in Other Peoples Money, and a Drama Desk nomination for the role of Serafina opposite Anthony LaPaglia in Tennessee Williams’ The Rose Tattoo. Mercedes starred in the 2nd Stage Off-Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein’s “Torch Song”, and starred in the production which moved to Broadway with a November 1st 2018 opening and closed January 6, 2019. Ruehl co-starred in STX’s feature “Hustlers” starring J Lo and Constance Wu. Mercedes filmed the lead in the indie “The Nana Project” directed by Robin Givens. Recently Mercedes filmed Brad Furman’s indie “People Not Places” starring Shirley MacLaine and Stephen Dorff. She just filmed a guest star lead in Fox’s/Sony TV series “Accused”.
She starred in Richard Greenberg’s “The American Plan” at the Manhattan Theatre Club and in the premiere of Edward Albee’s “The Occupant” as Louise Nevelson at The Signature Theatre. At The Old Vic in London she co-starred with Jeff Goldblum in Neil Simon’s “Prisoner of Second Avenue”. She revived “Full Gallop”, a one-woman show about Diana Vreeland at The Old Globe in San Diego. Mercedes recently starred in “Safe Space” for Bay St. Theater June-July 2019.
Ruehl came to popular attention with her portrayal as the gun-toting wife of a Mafia don in 1988’s “Married to the Mob,” which earned her a National Society of Film Critics® Award. Her other film credits include “Big” opposite Tom Hanks; the romantic drama “For Roseanna” opposite Jean Reno; Gurinder Chadha’s “What’s Cookin” “More Dogs than Bones,” “Another You,” “Heartburn”; “84 Charing Cross Road”; “Leader of the Band”; “The Secret of My Succe$s”; “Slaves of New York”, “Crazy People”, and “Chu and Blossom”.
Her television credits include guest & recur roles on New Amsterdam, Bull, Life in Pieces, NCIS, Mysteries of Laura, Two Broke Girls, Power, Luck (series regular), Law & Order:SVU, Subway Stories: Tales from The Underground, Indictment: The McMartin Trial, North Shore Fish, Psych, Monday Mornings, A Girl Like Me, Frasier, & starred in HBO’s Golden Globe and Emmy winning telefilm Gia.
Michael S. Horowitz (AEA)
During the Spring of 2024, TM Rawlins suggested that I take a look at Heisenberg by Simon Stephens. After falling in love with the play, TM and I began talking about the idea of producing the piece. Periodically, during the past year, we would ask each other – “Is this the strangest thing that two people have ever done in the history of the world?” And now – thanks to the brilliance of Mercedes Ruehl, the positive, seeking spirit of Brendan Walsh, and the imaginations of a gifted production team – TM and I are blessed with the opportunity of being able to say these words during each performance.
Some past productions – I Never Sang For My Father, The History Boys, Jungle of Cities, The Lady of Larkspur Lotion, Marriage Play, Underneath the Lintel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Father, Black Comedy, Labor Day, and Bent. Also – directed and co-produced the documentary, Water from the Moon, which was broadcast nationally on public television. And – appeared in Ed Midgett’s documentary, Monologue, which follows the lives of a group of actors over a twelve-year period.
T.M. Rawlins
Thank you Mercedes, Michael, Brendan and the whole Team. Favorite Theatre Credits Los Angeles: (as Actor) The Charm of Making; Sing Me That Leonard Cohen Song Again; Hurlyburly; (as Director) Three Days of Rain – Detroit: (as Actor) The Maiden’s Prayer; Orson’s Shadow; The Great Nebula In Orion; (as Director) Anything; (as Writer, Long Form Series) Beti in the Woods. Limitless amount of thanks and love to my husband and son.
Pictured Above: Candid shots during NY rehearsals – Michael S. Horowitz and T.M. Rawlins. Photo Credit: Grace DiNatale.
Performances of Heisenberg held at Chain Theatre (312 West 36th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10018) from May 1 through May 11, 2025, running Thursday through Sunday.
Thursday-Saturday May 1-May 11 Evening @ 7:30PM
Saturday & Sunday May 1-May 11 Matinees @2:00 PM.
Tickets available (here).
Pictured Above: The door to rehearsals for Heisenberg. Photo Credit: Grace DiNatale.
