Coal Country, With Steve Earle, Sets Return Off-Broadway Engagement

Audible Inc. will produce a return off-Broadway engagement of Coal Country, a Public Theater production written by Drama Desk winners Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen with original music written and performed by three-time Grammy Award winner Steve Earle.

Coal Country — a documentary play that explores the aftermath of the West Virginia mine explosion of 2010 — will run at the Cherry Lane Theatre, with previews beginning March 4 ahead of a March 10 opening. Opening night will mark two years to the day that the original production shut down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Directed by Blank, the play celebrated the opening of its world premiere at the Public Theater on March 3, 2020, and in September 2021, Audible recorded and released the play, with the majority of the original cast, as an Audible Original (available here).

"We are thrilled to be able to give Coal Country another run and for audiences to get to see this incredible play," said Kate Navin, artistic producer of Audible Theater. "It was heartbreaking to see this show close at the start of the pandemic. To then to have been able to share it with audiences through the audio release was incredible and to now be bringing it back to the stage, just feels right."

The cast of Coal Country will feature Mary Bacon (Patti), Amelia Campbell (Mindi), Ezra Knight (Roosevelt), Thomas Kopache (Gary), Michael Laurence (Tommy), and Deirdre Madigan (Judy), with two additional actors to be announced. Steve Earle returns to perform his original score, with select performances by Joe Jung.

Update (2/8/2022): Kym Gomes (Judge) and Carl Palmer (Goose) join the cast.

Reuniting for the return engagement, Coal Country's creative team includes Richard Hoover (scenic design), Jessica Jahn (costume design), David Lander (lighting design), Darron L West (sound design), and Adesola Osakalumi (movement director). Janelle Caso serves as production stage manager, with Andy Jones and Dylan Pager as general management (Baseline Theatrical).

To read TheaterMania's review of Coal Country, click here.