“THE YEAR’S MOST RESOUNDING TESTAMENT TO THE THEATER’S CONTINUING POWER TO SHOCK.”— BEN BRANTLEY, NEW YORK TIMES

ABOUT THE SHOW

Scott’s Role - Co-creator/Performer

Good morning, America! Welcome to Hanover Middle School, where a pair of teachers are getting down and dirty with today’s lesson. The nimble duo goes round after round on the mat of our nation’s history, tackling race, sex and power in this R-rated, kaleidoscopic and fearless comedy.  

Underground Railroad Game was created with Lightning Rod Special and made its Off-Broadway debut with Ars Nova in 2016 and ran to sold-out NYC audiences Sept. 13-Nov. 11th. Ars Nova toured that production around the world with a return engagement Off-Broadway at Ars Nova Greenwich House in 2019. Underground Railroad Game was shown in development at the New Orleans Fringe Festival, Roger Williams University, DEEP Space, and made its Philadelphia premiere with FringeArts in September, 2015 (remount, spring 2016).

ARS NOVA PRODUCTION OF UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR TOURING WITH OCTOPUS THEATRICALS.

TOUR STOPS

Original Off Broadway Premiere – Ars Nova – 2016; Theater Der Welt, Hamburg, Germany – 2017; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI – 2018; ‘62 Center Williams College;  Williamstown, MA – 2018; Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, Washington, DC – 2018; Curious Theatre Company, Denver Colorado – 2018; Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland – 2018; Soho Theatre, London, UK – 2018; Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, AU – 2019; Return Off-Broadway Engagement, Ars Nova – 2019; Bard College, Bard, NY – 2019

“THIS RIVETING, WHIP-SMART PERFORMANCE PIECE... IS AS DARINGLY UNEXPURGATED AS ANYTHING YOU’LL ENCOUNTER ONSTAGE TODAY.”

— PETER MARKS, WASHINGTON POST

ACCOLADES AND PRESS

New York Times Top 25 play of the last 25 years

OBIE Award for Best American Theatre Work 2017

Edinburgh Fringe First Winner 2018 

New York Times Best Theater of 2016

New York Times Critics’ Pick, “In-all-ways sensational”, “The smug and familiar humor with which this play hooks us winds up exploding in our faces, like a poisonous prank cigar.” -Ben Brantley 

Time Out NY Best of 2016 and Critics’ Pick

Washington Post Best Theater of 2018, #2

Time Out Melbourne Best Theater of 2019, #1, “Ars Nova’s brilliant and brutal excoriation of race relations in America for Malthouse set the bar early in the year, and it proved too high to clear.”

Washington Post Review, “This riveting, whip-smart performance piece, created by Philadelphia actors Jennifer Kidwell and Scott Sheppard, is as daringly unexpurgated as anything you’ll encounter onstage today.” -Peter Marks, Washington Post

Philadelphia Inquirer Review, “brilliant theatrical commentary on contemporary race relations” - Toby Zinman

Other Accolades - 3 Lucille Lortel Nominations 2016, 2 Helen Hayes Nominations 2018, Edinburgh Stage Award 2018, Short-listed for Total Theater Award 2018