Show Finder

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (after David Foster Wallace)

Opening Date: Jan 7, 2015
Closing Date: Jan 16, 2015
Running Time: 01:35
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again (after David Foster Wallace)

Share on Social Media

Playing @
Public Theater
425 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10003

Drawing exclusively from audio recordings of David Foster Wallace (readings he gave of his short fiction, essays, and an extensive interview he did for German television), director Daniel Fish and an ensemble of six actors seek to re-create the amazing presence Wallace brought to everything he wrote about, be it professional tennis, a boy's thirteenth birthday, or America's obsession with entertainment.

Tennis balls fly as four actors wrestle with the relentless rush of words streaming from their headphones.  Part sporting event, part theatrical séance, A Supposedly Fun Thing… draws exclusively from audio recordings of writer David Foster Wallace, mixed live during each performance. Wallace’s work, as translated by Daniel Fish and the performers, asks us: how present can we be? How generous in the way we experience the cacophony of our world?

Daniel Fish is a director who works in theater, opera, and film. Recent work includes The Source (BAM Next Wave) and ETERNAL (Noorderzon Festival, Incubator Arts Project, and Under The Radar

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, January 7 @ 8:00 PM
Thursday, January 8 @ 8:30 PM
Friday, January 9 @ 9:00 PM
Monday, January 12 @ 8:00 PM
Wednesday, January 14 @ 7:30 PM
Thursday, January 15 @ 8:00 PM
Friday, January 16 @ 8:00 PM
Off BroadwayPerformance ArtPlay - Drama
Show Notes: No Intermission. General Admission
Age Guidance: 16

TDF Tickets Offers:

TDF Member tickets:

Not currently available for this show

Listed at

Never

Full-price tickets:

$25.00 - $25.00

Reviews

  • “In constructing this fascinating theater piece, director Daniel Fish has captured not just the voice and personality of Wallace…but also the workings of his electric mind and the whirl of his conflicted consciousness.”

    ---– The Boston Globe 
  • “In constructing this fascinating theater piece, director Daniel Fish has captured not just the voice and personality of Wallace…but also the workings of his electric mind and the whirl of his conflicted consciousness.”

    ---– The Boston Globe 
  • “In constructing this fascinating theater piece, director Daniel Fish has captured not just the voice and personality of Wallace…but also the workings of his electric mind and the whirl of his conflicted consciousness.”

    ---– The Boston Globe 
  • “In constructing this fascinating theater piece, director Daniel Fish has captured not just the voice and personality of Wallace…but also the workings of his electric mind and the whirl of his conflicted consciousness.”

    ---– The Boston Globe 

Accessibility

  • Box Office

    Lobby. Counter 42".
  • Parking

    Valet parking garage: 403 Lafayette St. Lot: Lafayette St. & Astor Place.
  • Curb Ramps

    Outside main entrance.
  • Passenger Loading Zone

    Front.
  • Restroom

    Unisex: Main floor. Door 35.5". Clear space 61"x 54". Commode 18". Grab bars.
  • Seating

    Newman Theater seats 299. Anspacher Theater seats 275. LuEsther Hall seats 156. Martinson Hall seats 165. Susan Stein Shiva Theater seats 104.
  • Elevator/Escalator

    Elevator: Attended. Accesses all floors.
  • Telephone

    Main floor. Coin slot 55". Cord 30".
  • Entrance

    Six steps or machine lift to main floor lobby. Entrance marked by large signs. Assistance available.
  • Visual Assistance

    None.
  • Water Fountain

    Main floor. Spout 36".
  • Assisted Listening System

    Assistive Listening Systems that transmit sound via headsets are available.
  • Wheelchair Info

    Access for wheelchair users and individuals with limited mobility is available. Box office needs advance notice so that seats can be removed.

TDF Social Feed

TDF
TDF2 days ago
TDF's ticketing system is down for an upgrade. We will be up and running shortly.
tdfnyc2 days ago
TDF’s ticketing system is down for an upgrade. We will be up and running shortly.
tdfnyc6 days ago
CATS: The Jellicle Ball co-director Zhailon Levingston shared what he hopes audiences take away from the production during Pride Month and beyond. “If you can’t find this kind of queer...
tdfnyc1 week ago
Lucky 15–that’s how many Broadway shows are currently on TDF! Act quickly—show availability changes frequently, and tickets can go fast. Visit TDF to see all 15 shows currently on membership.
tdfnyc1 week ago
Words of wisdom from Tony-winner Joshua Henry! “What is for you cannot pass you by.” #broadway #tonyawards #joshuahenry
tdfnyc1 week ago
“The win was just getting to do it.” After winning her first Tony Award, Caissie Levy reflected on why being part of the Broadway community has always felt like a...
tdfnyc1 week ago
Tony-winner Ali Louis Bourzgui on the importance of using his platform for activism. “My activism only comes from being an empathetic person, which is what you need as an artist.”...
TDF
TDF1 week ago

Thanks so much for sharing the Tony Awards with us tonight! The biggest surprise may be what a fantastic host P!NK was (though we never doubted her... yet others did)....

TDF
TDF1 week ago
And Schmigadoon wins Best Musical!
TDF
TDF1 week ago
And an award that was essentially a given: Joshua Henry as Best Actor in a Musical for his gorgeous performance in Ragtime.
TDF
TDF1 week ago
Ragtime is picking up some big awards! Caissie Levy just won for Best Actress in a Musical. Maybe they'll extend (again)?
TDF
TDF1 week ago
So glad The Book of Mormon had a moment to celebrate its 15th anniversary on Broadway, especially after that awful fire. Gives new meaning to the show much go on!
TDF
TDF1 week ago
Death of a Salesman wins Best Revival of a Play. Amazing it's been revived on Broadway twice SINCE the pandemic. And such incredibly different productions.
TDF
TDF1 week ago
I suspect every musical-loving adolescent will be begging for The Lost Boys tickets after that number!!
TDF
TDF1 week ago
Alden Ehrenreich wins for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his Broadway debut in Becky Shaw. I will ALWAYS be #TeamMax!!!
TDF
TDF1 week ago
A lovely in memoriam.
TDF
TDF1 week ago
Ragtime wins Best Revival of a Musical!
TDF
TDF1 week ago

Lesley Manville finished Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre in London yesterday and won a Tony Award for Oedipus today! And for her Broadway debut (though she's a stage...

tdfnyc2 weeks ago
The Tony Awards aren’t the only place to catch this year’s nominees this weekend! Before Broadway’s biggest night, stream performances featuring several Tony nominees, including @fullyrosebyrne and @kelliohara in Fallen...
tdfnyc2 weeks ago
Looking for your next great theatre outing? We’ve rounded up 14 Off Broadway shows you won’t want to miss this June. Highlights include @nycitycenter’s La Cage aux Folles starring...
tdfnyc3 weeks ago
“You never know when you’re gonna inspire someone or change someone’s life.” At the Drama Desk Awards, artists got real about why access to theatre matters — for empathy, for...
tdfnyc3 weeks ago
From Tuesday, May 26 to Sunday, June 7 (aka Tony Awards Sunday), TDF Members are fast-tracked at TKTS Times Square. See Tony-nominated shows up to 50% off before Broadway’s biggest night. Just present your...
tdfnyc4 weeks ago
New York’s outdoor theatre season is officially here —and Shakespeare in the Park is just one of many incredible options. From The Classical Theatre of Harlem and the Battery Dance...
tdfnyc4 weeks ago
In summer 2025, The Public Theater unveiled its gorgeous renovation of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. In addition to making the venue more accessible to folks with mobility challenges,...