August 12, 2025: The Keegan Theatre is pleased to announce the cast and team of its Season 29 opener, Chelsea Marcantel’s acclaimed play EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL, making its DC Premiere at Keegan September 13-October 5, 2025.
“EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL is a softer, gentler — but profoundly moving — exploration of forgiveness that may surprise audiences accustomed to more confrontational drama,” explains Director Josh Sticklin. “In a time when our public discourse often rewards outrage over compassion, this play reminds us that the quiet, courageous act of letting go can often be more radical than anger. As Keegan Theatre’s resident Pennsylvanian, I am deeply honored to guide such a tender voyage alongside this extraordinary cast and creative team — whose dedication brings Chelsea Marcantel’s story of grace, resilience, and reconciliation vividly to life.”
“This play had me gripped from my first encounter with it,” remarks Keegan Artistic Director, Susan Marie Rhea. “The radical forgiveness at its heart is as moving and powerful a concept as any I’ve come across on stage in recent years. That the playwright, Chelsea Marcantel, is also the mind behind the brilliant play AIRNESS was also a revelation to me; I am in awe of her range and insight and honored to be producing another one of her scripts.”
About the play: What happens when forgiveness collides with deeply buried grief? Acclaimed playwright Chelsea Marcantel offers a moving, thought-provoking exploration of reconciliation, faith, and family. After a tragic accident, a young woman returns to her Amish roots to confront the life — and the people — she left behind. As wounds reopen and secrets surface, the boundaries between forgiveness and forgetting are tested. Don’t miss this intimate and powerful drama that the New York Times called “stirring and beautifully told.”
The cast of EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL includes Ben Clark (Abram), Max Johnson (Eric), Michael McGovern (Jacob), Leah Packer (Miri), Susan Marie Rhea (Esther), and Sasha Rosenbaum (Ruth), with understudies Adian Chapman, Mollie Greenberg, John Henry Stamper, and Martina Schabron.
In addition to Director Josh Sticklin, the creative team includes Jared H. Graham (Assistant Director), Sierra Young (Fight & Intimacy Director), Katrina Heil (Dramaturg), Hailey LaRoe (Lighting & Projections Designer), Tony Angelini (Sound Designer), Cindy Landrum Jacobs (Properties & Set Dressing Designer), Paris Francesca (Costume Designer), Zach Campion (Dialect Coach), Gabrielle Busch (Production Manager), and Emilie Knudsen (Stage Manager).
EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL runs September 13-October 5, 2025 with performances Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm, and select Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:00 pm.
Special events scheduled throughout the run include:
- Sunday, September 21: “Meet the Artists” Talkback immediately following the matinee performance. Free and open to all patrons!
- Sunday, September 21: Matinee Child Care is available onsite, provided by Keegan PLAY-RAH-KA Teaching Artists. (Limited capacity, advance registration required.)
- Sunday, September 28: Post-Show Discussion with Special Guests immediately following the matinee performance. Stay tuned for the announcement of our guests, invited to provide real-world perspective on the events of the play and enrich the theatergoing experience. Free and open to all patrons!
- Friday, October 3: Young Professionals Happy Hour, which includes discounted tickets to the show and 1 complimentary drink coupon.
