Welcome to the 45th Season at the A.R.T.!

I am thrilled to welcome you to the final production of our 2024/25 Season: Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), the hit musical comedy by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan that comes to the A.R.T. after a triumphant run in London.

Before captivating audiences at the Criterion Theatre in the West End, Two Strangers had an acclaimed run at the Kiln Theatre—the same theater we partnered with to bring The Wife of Willesden to the A.R.T. in 2023. I had the opportunity to see Two Strangers in London and knew our audiences would fall in love with it.

I am excited for director and choreographer Tim Jackson to make his A.R.T. debut alongside scenic and costume designer Soutra Gilmour, sound designer Cody Spencer, orchestrator Lux Pyramid, music supervisor Nick Finlow and music director Jeffrey Campos, who are all working on our stage for the first time. Returning to the A.R.T. are lighting designer Jack Knowles (Barber Shop Chronicles), sound designer Tony Gayle (Gatsby), and hair, wig and make-up designer Earon Chew Nealey (Diary of a Tap Dancer).

In collaboration with our creative and engagement teams, we develop an Essential Question for every production that we stage, which we share with our audiences, our students, our staff, and our community. For Two Strangers, we invite you to consider the following: We all tell ourselves stories about our own lives. Why do we need these stories? Which ones help us, and which ones hold us back?

Two Strangers encourages us to believe in the power of connection, even among strangers—an experience which is at the heart of coming together as an audience in the theater.

Thank you for taking the journey with us, and joining us at the A.R.T.!

Diane Paulus
Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director

American Repertory Theater

presents

TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)

A Kiln Theatre Production

First performance at the Loeb Drama Center on May 20, 2025.

Production support of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is provided by The Linda Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust and Katie and Paul Buttenwieser.

Media Support of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is provided by WBUR.

A.R.T. Season support is provided by Harvard University, The Barr Foundation, The Bob and Alison Murchison New Work Development Fund, The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Barton & Guestier, and Meyer Sound.
The A.R.T. 2024/25 Season is supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which receives support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Runtime: Two hours and ten minutes, including one fifteen-minute intermission

This production contains haze, fog, and flashing lights.

Understudies never substitute for listed players unless a specific announcement for the appearance is made at the time of the performance.

A.R.T. Staff

SENIOR STAFF

Director of Facilities and Capital Projects: Peter Atkinson
Public Relations Director: Rebecca Curtiss
General Manager: Connor Davis
Managing Director: Anna Fitzloff
Executive Administrator: Kathleen Fowkes
Director of Finance: Julia Goldmacher
Senior Theater and Facilities Manager: Tracy Keene
Chief Development Officer: Eileen Kennedy
Director of Production: Krystin Matsumoto
Director of Artistic Programs & Dramaturg: Ryan McKittrick
Associate Artistic Director: Dayron J. Miles
Producer: Evan O’Brient
Chief Marketing Officer: Jennifer Weissman

STAFF

Special Thanks

Rehearsed at The Huntington Theatre and the Boston Center for the Arts
Lighting and Additional Sound Equipment provided by PRG
Star Drop provided by Rose Brand
Rehearsal automation provided by Creative Conners

This musical was first produced by the Royal & Derngate Northampton and New Wolsey Ipswich when it was called “The Season”. This musical was developed through the Stiles and Drewe MTI Mentorship Award Excerpts from an earlier version of this musical were presented at BEAM2018, supported by Mercury Musical Developments and Musical Theatre Network

The actors and stage managers employed in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the United States.

The director and choreographer of this production are members of the STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY, a national theatrical labor union.

United Scenic Artists represents the designers and scenic painters for the American Theatre.

The musicians employed in this production are members of the American Federation of Musicians.

Act I

Overture

New York

Dad

What’ll It Be

On the App

This Is the Place

Under the Mistletoe

Be Happy

American Express

Act II

Entr’acte

The Hangover Duet

He Doesn’t Exist

What Did You Say?

About to Go In

This Year

Dearly Beloved

If I Believed