The Year 2 stranger things cast will take the stage at the Marquis Theatre on March 31, joining the ensemble company of Stranger Things: The First Shadow. The new company, led by Victor de Paula Rocha, Ayana Cymone, Juan Carlos, Shea Grant, Matthew Erick White and John Zdrojeski, begins performances on Tuesday, March 31 ET at the Marquis Theatre. The move marks the handoff to a fresh ensemble prepared to carry the Tony Award-winning Broadway production into its second year.
Stranger Things Cast: Year 2 Lineup and Roles
The new cast list is explicit: Victor de Paula Rocha as “Henry Creel, ” Ayana Cymone as “Patty Newby, ” Juan Carlos as “Bob Newby, ” Shea Grant as “Joyce Maldonado, ” Matthew Erick White as “James Hopper, Jr.,” and John Zdrojeski as “Dr. Brenner. ” The company joins dozens of actors stepping into the ensemble of Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Marquis Theatre, with Year 2 performances scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 31 ET.
Onstage Reactions and Creative Readiness
Victor de Paula Rocha, actor, The Ensemble Company of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, reflected on the transition from understudy to principal performer: “It’s interesting because Shea, Ayana, and I have spent the last year being understudies and your job as an understudy or swing is to essentially be able to step into a role, often times at the drop of a hat. You know, you want to do your thing, make it your own… but at the same time, you have to make sure that you’re hitting all the marks. “
John Zdrojeski, actor, The Ensemble Company of Stranger Things: The First Shadow, described the technical and fantastical demands of the production: “You never think when you want to become an actor that you’re gonna be in a show that requires you to be a magician as much as this one does. And it really is! The tech is obviously so incredibly impressive, but it’s like, the way in which it motivates your dramatic trajectory as an actor is a fascinating challenge. I don’t know of any other show where you get this opportunity. And just on a purely dramaturgical level, it helps you so much if you remember what you’re supposed to do and don’t die!”
Quick Context
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is identified in the casting notes as a Tony Award-winning Broadway production. The Year 2 company replaces or augments the first company to continue the show’s run at the Marquis Theatre.
What’s Next
Audiences can expect the Year 2 ensemble to begin performances on Tuesday, March 31 ET at the Marquis Theatre; the new stranger things cast will perform in place of or alongside returning company members as the production continues its Broadway run. Further company rotations and audience reactions during Year 2 will determine how the new cast settles into these technically demanding roles.
