Clifford Odets’ The Nursery Makes Off-Broadway Debut

In collaboration with The Lee Strasberg Creative Center, PointFive Collective presented the first staging of The Nursery, an unpublished one-act by Clifford Odets, at The Flea Theater on October 11–12, 2024, in New York City. Directed by Stella Diji, the production starred Cameron Monaghan (Shameless, Gotham) and Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute alumna Natalie Rebenkoff (Don’t Look Up).

THE PLAY

Set in the 1950s,The Nursery is a one-act playlet following Phil and Ruth, an upper-middle-class couple forced to confront the simmering fault lines in their troubled marriage. When the suppressed emotions of their grief-stricken union erupt during a pivotal conversation, the strength of their love is tested. Will it survive — or crumble under the weight of their pain?

This never-before-seen Odets original explores the complexities of love, loss, and marriage, shining a light on the connections that emerge when we courageously share our pain.

THE PRODUCTION

The play’s discovery in the archives of The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute speaks to the long established connection between Lee Strasberg and Clifford Odets. PointFive Collective’s partnership with The Lee Strasberg Creative Center seeks to build on that collaboration and on the historic legacy of The Group Theatre.

Co-founded by Strasberg in 1931, The Group Theatre was a pioneering ensemble dedicated to realism, collaboration, and emotionally truthful performance. The company premiered many of Odets’ greatest plays, including Awake and Sing! and Waiting for Lefty, and helped redefine the landscape of American theatre.

Today, showcasing this legacy through emerging talent is at the core of The Lee Strasberg Creative Center’s mission. Sharing in this vision, PointFive Collective is dedicated to fostering connectivity, creating space for innovative storytelling through classic works, and building a vibrant community of next-generation theatre artists.