Daniel Kaluuya to make New York stage debut in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Grass

Daniel Kaluuya is set to make his New York stage debut in Grass, a new play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins scheduled for a February world premiere at Park Avenue Armory. The production brings the Oscar-winning actor to a U.S. stage for the first time, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Variety reported that the Off Broadway production has an opening night set for Feb. 26. Its report did not specify the year for that date; The Hollywood Reporter described the premiere as planned for February. The play was commissioned by Park Avenue Armory and the National Black Theatre, The Hollywood Reporter said.

What Grass is about

The Hollywood Reporter said Jacobs-Jenkins wrote Grass specifically for the Armory’s 55,000-square-foot stage in New York. That scale makes the venue part of the production’s design, rather than simply its host: the reported plan places the mother and son’s journey in a space built for large theatrical presentations.

Who is making the production

Sarah Benson will direct, with set design by Mimi Lien. Both worked with Jacobs-Jenkins on his 2014 play An Octoroon, according to Variety. Their reunion brings an established creative partnership to the playwright’s new work, though the announced plot places Kaluuya and the mother-son relationship at its centre.

Jacobs-Jenkins won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Purpose, The Hollywood Reporter said. He also won a Tony for the 2024 revival of Appropriate. Grass is his next announced stage project in the reports, with its premiere planned at the Armory rather than on Broadway.

For Kaluuya, the role marks a geographic first on stage, rather than a stage debut. His London credits include Sucker Punch and Oxford Street; The Hollywood Reporter said the latter earned him an Olivier Award nomination. He won an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe for Judas and the Black Messiah and received nominations for his lead performance in Get Out.