Opus

Primary Stages opens its 23rd season of new works by American playwrights with the New York premiere of Opus, by Michael Hollinger. A world-renowned string quartet struggles to prepare for their highest-profile performance when the violist, and founder of the quartet, mysteriously disappears. When a young woman is hired as the replacement, her musical gifts inspire the musicians, and they decide on short notice to abandon their friendly Pachelbel Canon program and to replace it with Beethoven’s difficult Opus 131. The rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker as passions rise, personalities clash, and the musicians are forced to tackle the ephemeral nature of their life’s work.

Opus was awarded the 2006 Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Direction of a Play by Terrence J. Nolan for its world premiere in Philadelphia. Mr. Nolen recreates this award-winning production.