Girl, Interrupted event image
The Public Theater — Martinson Hall, NoHo, Manhattan

Girl, Interrupted

King Princess and an Aimee Mann songbook power the Public's Girl, Interrupted — Susanna Kaysen's psych-ward memoir sung, in its final weekend.

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Off-BroadwayFinal weekendKing Princess

Aimee Mann spent years turning Susanna Kaysen's 1960s psychiatric-ward memoir into songs, and this Public Theater premiere finally puts that score on stage with pop star King Princess making her theater debut in the ensemble. Jo Bonney's production and Sonya Tayeh's choreography treat the ward's young women as a chorus of distinct, prickly voices rather than case studies. If you missed the sold-out weeks of buzz, this is genuinely the last call — the run closes for good after this weekend.

What to expect

An intimate sung-through portrait of the young women of McLean's South Belknap Two ward, staged in the Public's 199-seat Martinson Hall so every performer is close. Expect Mann's melancholy, hook-laden songwriting, dark humor about diagnosis and defiance, and a charged closing-weekend audience.

Good to know

  • The Public Theater is at 425 Lafayette Street — take the 6 to Astor Place or the R/W to 8th Street
  • Martinson Hall is small; closing-weekend seats are scarce, so check for rush and cancellation lines
  • Subject matter includes psychiatric treatment and self-harm — best for teens and up
  • The Library bar downstairs at the Public is a solid pre- or post-show stop
  • The venue is wheelchair accessible with assistive listening devices

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Common questions

Is this based on the Winona Ryder movie?

Same source — Susanna Kaysen's 1993 memoir — but this is a new stage musical with songs by Aimee Mann, not an adaptation of the 1999 film.

Does King Princess sing in the show?

Yes — the singer-songwriter performs as part of the ensemble cast of ward residents in her stage acting debut.

Can I still get tickets for the final performances?

The last weekend is in high demand; check the Public's site for released holds and same-day options rather than resale first.