Letters of Suresh

Letters of Suresh

By Rajiv Joseph
Originally Produced at Second Stage Theater, New York, NY
Fall, 2021

Letters of Suresh Promotional Image featuring origami cranes

In Letters Of Suresh, playwright Rajiv Joseph reveals intimate mysteries through a series of letters between strangers, friends, daughters, and lovers — many with little in common but a hunger for human connection. ​Sending their hopes and dreams across oceans and years, they seek peace in one another while dreaming of a city once consumed by the scourge of war. ​A companion piece to Joseph’s play Animals Out of Paper, Letters Of Suresh, directed by May Adrales, is the latest work from the Pulitzer Prize-short listed playwright hailed as “wonderfully daring, imaginative, and compassionate” (The New York Times).

Artistic Statement: After an extremely challenging year, Second Stage Theater is thrilled to reopen with the world premiere of Rajiv Joseph’s Letters of Suresh. When we thought about what our reopening should look like, we wanted and needed our audiences to feel joy and hope walking into our theaters once again. Letters of Suresh speaks to this moment with themes of healing, second chances, community and connection. Rajiv has created a moving and engaging play so perfectly poised for this moment. It will be an emotional and long-awaited homecoming for us all – audiences, artists and staff.

Grant Statement: The Edgerton Foundation’s support is making it possible to add an extra week of rehearsal time to the production. This time is particularly valuable given that this will be our first production after more than a year of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will allow the cast and creative team additional time to navigate the new normal and ensure a safe return for everyone involved in the production.

Letters of Suresh is the recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Play Award. The play was commissioned with support from the Time Warner Foundation.

Director: May Adrales 
Scenic Design: Mikiko Suzuki
Costume Design: Amy Clark
Lighting Design: Jiyoun Chang
Sound Design: Charles Coes/Nathan A Roberts
Projection Design: Shawn Duan
Casting: The Telsey Office