Will Connolly Is Drawn To The Chaos In TEETH

In the world of Teeth, the myth of “vagina dentata” is very real—and Brad, the show’s unexpectedly complex antagonist, has the scars to prove it.

The acclaimed new musical, which transfers to New World Stages this fall following a sold-out spring run at Playwrights Horizons, follows evangelical Christian teen Dawn O’Keefe (Lortel and Outer Critics Circle nominee Alyse Alan Louis). As she comes of age in a violent patriarchal community, Dawn discovers her body possesses an ancient power to fend off the violations of men.  

Dawn’s spiteful stepbrother Brad, the role taken on by Will Connolly, is certainly a villainous figure in her tale. Yet Michael R. Jackson and Anna K. Jacobs’ sharp, nuanced adaptation of Mitchell Lichenstein’s 2007 horror film lends depth to Brad’s story, tying his motivations to current day conversations around toxic masculinity and the allure of online incel communities. 

“When boys are being mutilated, Brad sees himself as kind of a detective,” said Connolly. “He just wants the truth, wherever it leads, and for him, the stakes are literally life and death.”

Connolly, praised for his turn in the Playwrights run for “endowing Brad with real vulnerability,” returns to the role this fall. Teeth will play an open-ended commercial run beginning Oct 18, with original director Sarah Benson and choreographer Raja Feather Kelly returning. 

Connolly, who has been with the show since a workshop in 2022, has always appreciated Brad’s complexity. Key to Brad’s backstory is an incident from he and Dawn’s youth. As children uncertain and confused by their bodies, the two experimented with touching each other. But when Brad placed his finger inside Dawn’s vagina, it snapped back – a (naturally) confusing experience which warped Brad’s understanding of sexuality.

“Unlike Dawn’s other victims, Brad wasn’t a predator when he got hurt,” said Connolly. “He was just a kid with normal curiosities, and he was “punished” for it.”

Not helping matters is the absence of Brad’s mother and the horrific abuse inflicted by his father, Pastor Bill (Andy Karl, taking over from Stephen Pasquale for the New World run). 

“Brad’s father really does a number on him,” said Connolly. “The physical, verbal and psychological abuse is just brutal. Brad never really had a chance at a healthy life.”

But, Connolly adds, Brad is still responsible for his choices. Diving into alt-right corners of the internet, Brad embraces the “Truthseekers,” a men’s rights community intent on “destroying what feminocracy is hiding.”

“Of course he is drawn to them–they’re the first people to really see him and accept him,” said Connolly. “But Brad makes a lot of mistakes. He goes down a really dark path.”

Best known for leading the world premiere of Joe Iconis’ Be More Chill at Two River Theatre, Connolly has an impressively eclectic resume, originating roles off-Broadway in Clueless: The Musical and This Ain’t No Disco while co-writing the cult musical Fly By Night with Michael Mitnick and Kim Rosenstock. Also a skilled instrumentalist, Connolly made his Broadway debut as Andrej in the original company of Once.

As to his favorite number from Teeth to perform each night? Probably “Take Me Down,” which accompanies the show’s anarchic, violent denouement–the point when everything just goes totally insane.

“It's so crazy and climactic,” said Connolly. “I guess I’m drawn to the chaos.”

Teeth beings previews October 18, 2024 at New World Stages. For tickets and more information, visit here. 

Theatrely’s 2024 Fall Preview is sponsored by The Broadway Cruise 3, setting sail to Cozumel, Mexico this March. To learn more, visit here.