Stephen Sheffer Brings Lean-To to The Roundtable!

What happens when three strangers head into the woods looking for an escape—and find connection, loneliness, laughter, and a little Britney Spears instead? Canadian-born, Brooklyn-based playwright Stephen Sheffer joins Robert Bannon on The Roundtable to talk about his new play, Lean-To, making its world premiere Off-Broadway at 59E59 Theaters in New York City. Presented by New Light Theater Project and Pendragon Theatre and directed by Jesse Jou, Lean-To follows an overprepared hiker and a not-so-prepared couple who find themselves sharing a rustic shelter in the woods. As they bond over Britney Spears, shared supplies, and their mutual desire to get away from city life, an unexpected connection begins to form—but something else may be brewing around the campfire. Part comedy and part tender drama, Lean-To explores loneliness, our need for human connection, and what happens when we leave the noise of everyday life behind. Stephen tells us how a real night spent in a lean-to during the depths of COVID inspired the play, why forests and wild spaces continue to show up in his writing, and his fascination with what he calls “grounded existentialism.” We also talk about the idea of humans being part of nature rather than separate from it—and why protecting our wild spaces feels especially urgent right now. Stephen's work has been seen at Ars Nova, Rattlestick Theater, Cherry Lane Theatre, HERE Arts Center, Hartford Stage, The Flea, and more. His plays include SOS, Private Property, the award-winning Back To Mine, The Spark, and IRMPOV SHOW. He's also a screenwriter, performer, teaching artist, and founding member of NYC's long-running Dirty Little Secrets Improv Show. Lean-To runs September 10–October 10 at 59E59 Theaters for a limited Off-Broadway engagement. It’s theater, nature, Britney Spears, and a conversation about why—even when we run away from everything—we still need each other. For more info, go to RobertBannon.com and follow Robert on IG @RobertMBannon. #TheRoundtable #RobertBannon #StephenSheffer #LeanTo #OffBroadway #59E59 #59E59Theaters #NYCTheater #NYCTheatre #Theater #Theatre #Playwright #NewYorkTheater #NewLightTheaterProject #PendragonTheatre #BroadwayWorld #BroadwayPodcastNetwork #BritneySpears Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices