LIBERATION Is The Best Play On Broadway Right Now | Opinion

It was a cold February night as I walked into the Laura Pels Theatre earlier this year, not knowing what I was in for. Bess Wohl is a playwright you know you will be in good hands with, no matter what. I still think back to her astonishing production of Small Mouth Sounds… let’s revive that soon… 

Anyways, I caught Liberation Off-Broadway pretty early in the run before word-of-mouth started to spread, and was immediately absorbed into Wohl’s world. Roundabout had found a winner with this one between one of the finest scripts this town has seen in a long time, Whitney White’s superior direction as always, and an ensemble of New York’s actors in their prime. It was a recipe for success, and before long, the town was talking. 

As our Chief Critic Juan Ramirez wrote in his review, “questions of love and freedom, ethics and goals, history and foresight, and sisterhood and marriage are thoughtfully explored with great humor, and through a fantastic cast,” and I will stand firm on this assessment. Liberation takes us to a gymnasium in 1970s Ohio where we meet Lizzie who forms a women’s group with the goal of bettering not only each other, but the world at large. 

As Roundabout’s Off-Broadway run sold out, and with buzz continuing to grow, enter four powerhouse commercial producers who knew this story needed a larger platform. Daryl Roth, Eva Price, Rachel Sussman, and Jenny Gersten came together and set their sights on Broadway. 

Bringing the originating cast, Liberation opened at the James Earl Jones Theatre on October 28 to rave reviews and much admiration. It is a great American play, and you should do everything in your power to catch it before its final bow on February 1, 2026. 

So much of what makes Liberation what it is is the cast. Susannah Flood is one of those actors that you feel privileged you get the opportunity to witness. In just the past few years, her work in The Counter, and Staff Meal, and The Comeuppance… I mean…  it doesn’t get better than this. And now front and center leading this production, how lucky are we? The entire ensemble are putting in their all and have created just a breathtaking piece of theatre thanks to Betsy Aidem, Audrey Corsa, Kristolyn Lloyd, Irene Sofia Lucio, Charlie Thurston, and Adina Verson. 

There is one name I still need to mention, and that is Kayla Davion. To jump from Jovie in Elf last season to this just shows Davion’s immense range as a performer and I can’t wait to see what comes next. I don’t want to even say too much about her character of Joanne, but a late in Act II arrival brings a new depth to Wohl’s story and Davion runs away with the whole show. 

Whitney White has formed one of these special New York productions that will be talked about for generations to come, and I hope you can catch it. Trust me, you won’t regret it.