Adam Driver to Star in Upcoming Off Broadway Play About a Country-Western Singer

Adam Driver is set to star in an Off Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s play Hold On to Me Darling. He makes his return to theater this fall for the limited run, which begins previews on September 24, officially opening on October 16 and running until December 22. Additional casting will be announced soon, according to a report from Deadline.

Lonergan is likely best known for his Manchester by the Sea screenplay, for which he won an Oscar. Hold On to Me Darling first premiered in 2016 with the Atlantic Theater Company directed by Neil Pepe, who will return to direct this revival. The initial run starred actor Timothy Oliphant in the main role.

Videos by American Songwriter

The play focuses on Strings McCrane, a successful country-Western singer who learns of his mother’s death and must return home to Tennessee. He questions the meaning of his life and his purpose, and becomes determined to give up everything he knows—fame, fortune, and his career. This transition back to his hometown doesn’t go well, and aspects of the tragicomedy come from the collision of his fame and narcissistic mindset with small town life. However, he finds that superstardom is harder to outrun than he thought, and must deal with the consequences.

Adam Driver to Take On Role of Narcissistic Country-Western Singer Strings McCrane

This run of Hold On to Me Darling will premiere at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in the West Village. Previously, the Lortel Theatre found success with Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott’s run of John Patrick Shanley’s Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. The sold-out show broke box office records for the theatre when it opened in 2023. Additionally, Plaza made her stage debut there.

Driver, meanwhile, made his stage debut in 2010 with Mrs. Warren’s Profession on Broadway. He returned to Broadway for Man and Boy in 2011, most recently performing in Burn This in 2019. Off Broadway, he’s performed in Angels in America and Look Back in Anger.

Producers for Hold On to Me Darling are Seaview, Sue Wagner, and John Johnson, who were among producers for Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.

Featured Image by CYRIL PECQUENARD/SIPA/Shutterstock