After a decade in development, a musical adaptation of Susanna Kaysen's cult memoir Girl, Interrupted is finally premiering off Broadway at New York's Public Theater. The show stars Tony-nominated actor Juliana Canfield as Susanna and pop star King Princess, making her stage debut, as Lisa.
The production draws solely from Kaysen's 1993 memoir, which chronicles her two-year stay in a psychiatric facility in the late 1960s. Playwright Martyna Majok, who won a Pulitzer for Cost of Living, has framed the piece as a memory play, toggling between perspectives of older and younger Susanna. 'We had to figure out how to create a dramatic propulsive piece of theater while honoring the fragmentary nature of memory,' Majok said.
The musical's origins trace back to producer Angelica Zollo, who discovered the book as a teenager. She brought the idea to her parents, including her mother Barbara Broccoli, longtime producer of the James Bond franchise. Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann was initially attached to write the music; her songs from the project were released as the 2021 album Queens of the Summer Hotel, though she is no longer actively involved.
Kaysen is not involved in the production but has given her blessing. 'She really wanted us to make it our own,' Majok said. The show's set features a circular platform reminiscent of a nurse's station, with minimal props including chairs, cots and a piano.
