Julia Roberts is returning to Broadway for the first time in 20 years to take on a demanding stage role in New York.
The Oscar-winning actress will reunite on stage with Paul Rudd, marking their first theatrical collaboration in roughly two decades.
According to People, Roberts made her New York theatrical debut in 2006 when she starred in the play Three Days of Rain. She appeared alongside Rudd and Bradley Cooper, who was then in the early stages of his acting career.
The two actors are coming together once again for a Broadway transfer of the play Small Mouth Sounds. They will be supported by an ensemble cast that includes Sarah Paulson, Martin Freeman, Greta Lee, and Isaac Powell.
People reported the casting announcement on social media on September 8, 2026, noting that Roberts was returning to the stage 20 years after her debut in a starry play with a shocking amount of dialogue.
Broadway is Manhattan's world-famous theatrical district, widely recognized as the pinnacle of commercial theatre in the United States. Roberts, best known for her celebrated film career, previously drew major public attention during her initial 2006 theatrical run.
A silent retreat and personal conflict
Small Mouth Sounds was written by Bess Wohl, who previously earned Pulitzer and Tony honors for her theatrical work Liberation. The play was first presented off-Broadway in 2015 before securing its upcoming Broadway transfer.
According to the official description, the story follows six strangers who arrive at a meditation retreat in upstate New York. The characters are determined to escape their personal troubles, look inward, and transform their lives.
The production notes state that events quickly go awry as personal traumas surface, characters collide, and unexpected desires take over. The play unfolds with minimal dialogue as an original exploration of the search for fulfillment in a broken world.
Wohl explained that the inspiration for the play arose from her own participation in a meditation seminar at the Omega Institute in upstate New York. She noted that, much like her real-life retreat experience, the majority of the dramatic action in the play takes place without spoken words.
Performance schedule and production team
Previews for Small Mouth Sounds are scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 18, 2027, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre in New York. The official opening night premiere is set for March 18, 2027.
Three-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello is directing the new production. Mantello is currently helming the play Downstate, which is scheduled to premiere at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on October 17, according to Just Jared.
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a historic Broadway venue located in Manhattan's Theater District. Named after the famed American actress, the venue will host both of Mantello's high-profile stage productions during the theatrical season.
