The world premiere of Shayan Lotfi's What Became of Us, coming to Atlantic Theater Company's Stage 2 this spring, has announced two pairs of performers to lead the production's two separate casts. Directed by Jennifer Chang, performances will run from May 17 through June 29 with an official June 4 opening.
Rosalind Chao (The Joy Luck Club) and Tony Award winner BD Wong (M. Butterfly) will lead one cast, with Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog) and Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Tony Shalhoub (The Band's Visit, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) leading the other. Chao and Wong will perform from May 17 through June 15, while Aghdashloo and Shalhoub will perform from June 10 through June 29. For four performances, from June 11 to June 13, both casts will perform back-to-back as an exclusive double-feature event.
What Became of Us follows two siblings, one born in "The Old Country" and one born in "This Country." The story traces their connection to each place and to each other. “My intention for this piece has always been that the roles would alternate between separate pairings of actors from different diasporic backgrounds," said playwright Lotfi in a statement. "I am thrilled that Atlantic has supported this by bringing together this remarkable cast.”
The production will feature sets by Tanya Orellana, costumes by Rodrigo Muñoz, lighting by Reza Behjat and sound and compositions by Fan Zhang.