Junk

Junk on Broadway Background

Junk is likewise produced by Lincoln Center, and like Disgraced, it is an insightful and biting political drama. Junk had its world premiere in the summer of 2016 at the La Jolla Playhouse in California, after which the Los Angeles Times called it “thrilling” and a “modern-day morality tale.” The critic Charles McNulty even went so far as to say that Ayad Akhtar surpasses all the op-ed writers and television news reporters in terms of providing insight into the origins of the economic mess in which we find ourselves today.

This play is directed by Doug Hughes, who also helmed the world premiere. At the time, the Los Angeles Times compared Hughes’ direction to that of a chess master. While Disgraced tackled the topic of American-Islamic relations in the modern day, Junk is set in 1985 and deals with the corruption of Wall Street and capitalism.

Like the recent blockbuster hit film "The Big Short," Junk is an enlightening depiction of the decline of our economy and society. The title refers to junk-bond financing, and the drama focuses on the point in history when U.S. manufacturing was in decline and this new form of financing became the go-to method of revitalizing the economy, but at a significant cost.

What's Junk Like?

Junk is a new play by the acclaimed playwright Ayad Akhtar, whose Pulitzer Prize winning play Disgraced played the Lyceum Theatre in the fall of 2014, following a successful run at Lincoln Center.

Akhtar is uniquely talented in his ability to tackle politically relevant and timely topics, but with a breathtakingly engaging ear for dialogue and dramatic pacing.

While set over thirty years ago, Junk is incredibly relevant to the world today, as it illustrates a perspective on when society became obsessed with money over all other things, and when debt counterintuitively became the path to wealth. This play is a must-see for anyone interested in the economy in our world today.

Is Junk Good for Kids?

The show is most appropriate for those aged 12 and over, due to strong language and adult situations. Children under the age of 4 will not be permitted in the theatre.