THE TENDER TRAP
by Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith
directed by Kevin V. Smith
Shulman and Smith's Broadway comedy, adapted into a 1955 Technicolor film starring Frank Sinatra and Debbie Reynolds, provides an unfiltered comedic snapshot of mid-century America. Blue in the Right Way's radically reimagined 2025 revival challenges the text's romantic perspective to examine the haunting legacy of the era's rigid social constructs, creating a startling work of visual performance art from an iconic piece of comedic American pop culture.
-
Directed by Kevin V. Smith
Text Max Shulman and Robert Paul Smith
Cast Alex Amaya, Daiva Bhandari, Kaylah Marie Crosby, Allyriane Huq, Noelle Oh, Nicholas Russo, Andrew Shipman
Scenic & Lighting Design Tianxuan Chen
Costume, Hair & Makeup Design Alaina Moore
Video & Projection Design Eme Ospina-López
Original Musical Score Katie Klocke
Sound Design Huhao Yang
Production Assistant Vee Villareal
Intimacy Direction Ethan Smith
Violence Design Jay Donley
Fight Choreography Cameron Jarrett
Production Manager Ariel Beller
Stage Manager Carli Shapiro
Assistant Stage Manager Katie Mae Ryan
Technical Director Jeremiah Barr
Master Electrician Baylee Speer
Lighting Associate Seojung Jang
Mixing Engineer Scarlett Shi
Costume Assistant Henry Winkelman
Props Supervisors Alaina Moore & Vee Villareal
Casting Adelina Feldman-Schultz, Tertulia Creative Solutions
Trailer Maxime Chudeau
Teaser Trailer Kevin V. Smith
Photo Credit Christopher Semel, Lenny Gilmore
Box Office Claire Michalak
Special thanks to Emma Ladji & Sonia Perelló
Production Blue in the Right Way
The Tender Trap premiered at The Edge Off Broadway Theater in Chicago on July 3, 2025.