John Krasinski to Make Stage Debut in ‘Dry Powder’

Multihyphenate John Krasinski will add stage actor to his list of credits in the spring when he makes his theatrical debut in the Public Theater’s world premiere of Sarah Burgess‘ Dry Powder.

Krasinksi has been cast as Seth, the managing director of a private equity firm who engineers a fix to rescue his boss from an embarrassing public relations nightmare after his extravagant lifestyle is held up for scrutiny against the mass layoffs he triggered at a national grocery chain. However, Seth discovers that his female counterpart has other, more ruthless plans for the struggling company acquired as part of the firm’s image rehab.

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Described as a reflection on the price of success as viewed through the people molding and messing with the American economy, the play will begin previews March 1 and has been extended to run through May 1.

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The off-Broadway production will be staged by Thomas Kail, hot off directing the musical smash Hamilton, which played a sell-out extended premiere run at the Public earlier this year and has since transferred to Broadway, generating ecstatic reviews and stellar grosses.

Best known for his long-running role on The Office, Krasinski will next be seen onscreen as a Navy SEAL in Michael Bay‘s Benghazi drama 13 Hours. He also directed and stars in the upcoming feature Like It Once Was (previously known as The Hollars), with Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale and Sharlto Copley. Through his Sunday Night banner, Krasinski is an executive producer with Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Merchant on Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle.

The Public has proved to be a star magnet this year, generating off-Broadway runs for Anne Hathaway in the solo play Grounded, directed by Julie Taymor; and a New York stage debut for Lupita Nyong’o in the Liberian Civil War drama Eclipsed, written by The Walking Dead star Danai Gurira. That play, directed by Liesl Tommy, is currently in previews for an Oct. 14 opening.