Scott Rudin Announces Two High-Profile Broadway Returns Featuring Julia Roberts and Paul Rudd

Broadway veteran Scott Rudin is returning with two ambitious projects this season. The first, Downstate, a drama by Bruce Norris about four convicted sex offenders living together, will open at the Booth Theatre on Oct. 17 under the direction of Joe Mantello and will feature a cast that includes Liza Colón-Zayas and Thomas Sadoski. The second, Small Mouth Sounds, a largely wordless comedy by Pulitzer-winner Bess Wohl, is set for a Feb. 18 opening at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre and stars Julia Roberts, Paul Rudd, Martin Freeman, Greta Lee, Sarah Paulson and Isaac Powell.

Both productions are co-produced with Barry Diller and follow Rudin’s recent success with Death of a Salesman, which earned six Tony Awards. A ticket discount links audiences of the two shows, and Rudin hinted at another, as-yet-unannounced project starring Laurie Metcalf.