The holiday season might be over, but NYC is still reveling in the Christmas spirit with Cult of Love, Broadway’s new family drama with Shailene Woodley. Believe it or not, this is the Big Little Lies‘ star’s first stage role, and it’s a dynamic one at that.
The production follows the ultra-religious Dahl family, who reconvene for Christmas at their parents’ house with some disastrous results. Woodley plays the baby of the fam, Diana, a young mom and singer. But throughout the course of the play, theater-goers might not necessarily find a lot to love about her. In fact, Diana is chastised quite a bit — something that seems to be a hit amongst the audience.
“The feel of that breaks my heart, the feel of the audience clapping against Diana, it’s this existential sadness that I do carry in me,” she told The New York Times.
Despite her character’s quirks, the actor has received rave reviews for her new role. (The New Yorker says, “Woodley nails Diana’s mean-waif combustibility.”) And let’s face it, we all crave a li’l disfunction in our entertainment every now and then. It’s giving us Family Stone vibes, minus the religious factor.
Additionally, the drama casts some other popular faces, including Molly Bernard of Younger, Rebecca Henderson (Star Wars: Acolyte), and Euphoria star and born-and-bred New Yorker, Barbie Ferreira, who is also making her Broadway debut.
“I feel like I’m in a different chapter in my life where I really do have to be centered and grounded in my craft and what I want, not what other people want from me, not from what is the glitziest and glam-est version of it, but what makes me happy,” she recently revealed to Elle.
If you want to enjoy a bit of Christmas chaos outside of your own family, stop by to check it out for yourself. Be sure to keep up with fun upcoming debuts for 2025, including a Stranger Things prequel, as well as cool additions to the Off-Broadway lineup. (A Saw parody!) See you at the theater.
📍Hayes Theater (240 W 44th Street)
🗓️ Now through February 2nd, 2025
🎟️ From $110 on Broadway.com