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Photo by Michaelah Reynolds |
Sam Jay Steps Into the Spotlight as LCT3 and Seaview Close Out a Boundary-Pushing Comedy Series - December 14.
Lincoln Center Theater and Seaview have released a new photo of Emmy-nominated comedian and writer Sam Jay onstage at the Claire Tow Theater, where she begins performances of Sam Jay: We The People tonight, Wednesday, December 3. The production, directed by Mike Donahue, marks the final installment in LCT3’s inaugural Comedy Series—a bold experiment in expanding what theater can contain, and who gets to shape it. Performances run through Sunday, December 14.
Tickets begin at $35 and are available at lct.org.
Launched earlier this season, LCT3 x Seaview’s Comedy Series represents a first for Lincoln Center Theater: an initiative centered entirely around comedic voices building new work for the stage. The series opened with Vir Das’ Vir Das: Hey Stranger, followed by Jerrod Carmichael Live on Stage at Lincoln Center Theater, and continued with Ego Nwodim’s solo comedy show. Justin Townsend, known for his Tony-winning design work, served as Production Designer across the entire series.
What emerged over these months was a laboratory—equal parts rehearsal room and creative playground—where artists could test ideas, take risks, and explore the unstable border between humor and truth. With Sam Jay stepping in to close the season, the series arrives at a fitting finale. Few comedians today probe the cultural moment with her precision, candor, or wit.
The 2025–2026 LCT3 season is dedicated to Leonard Tow, whose leadership and support helped shape the identity of LCT3. Additional support for LCT3 comes from the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, and the LCT3 Council. Endowment support is provided by Daryl Roth, James-Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach, and The Judith Champion Playwrights' Vision Fund and Mel Litoff. LCT season support is generously provided by Daryl Roth, Denise Littlefield Sobel, and American Airlines.
Sam Jay: Writer, Performer, Cultural Agitator
Sam Jay has carved out one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary comedy. An Emmy-nominated writer and stand-up comic, she is best known as the host and executive producer of HBO’s Pause with Sam Jay. She co-created and co-starred in Peacock’s Bust Down and earned two Emmy and WGA Award nominations for her writing on Saturday Night Live. Her HBO special Salute Me or Shoot Me earned an NAACP Image Award nomination, and her Netflix special 3 in the Morning remains a favorite among fans.
We The People arrives at Lincoln Center fresh from a standout Edinburgh Fringe Festival run, where it was nominated for Best Comedy Show and won The Uprise Award. Jay’s résumé spans major award shows, late-night appearances, voice performances, and film roles—including a breakout turn on Netflix’s The Roast of Tom Brady in 2024. Originally from Boston, she splits her time between New York and Atlanta, bringing both cities’ sensibilities to her work.
The Vision Behind the Production
Director Mike Donahue brings more than a decade of directing experience to the Claire Tow Theater. His work spans acclaimed Off-Broadway productions, world premieres, and award-winning regional stagings. His recent projects include Messy White Gays Off-Broadway, Cyrano at Pasadena Playhouse, and the world premiere of Highway Patrol at the Goodman Theatre. His short film Troy premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and screened widely—including at Sundance—before being acquired by The New Yorker. Donahue’s range, from devised theater to narrative film, makes him an ideal collaborator for a boundary-pushing comedic performer like Jay.
Production Designer Justin Townsend, chair of the Department of Design for Stage and Film at NYU Tisch, brings his award-winning aesthetic to the series. With Tony-winning work on Moulin Rouge! The Musical and celebrated designs across Broadway and Off-Broadway, Townsend’s vision anchors the series in an elevated theatrical language—supporting comedians as they expand their work beyond the traditional stand-up stage.
Lincoln Center Theater: A New Chapter
As the institution enters its 2025–2026 season, Lincoln Center Theater is in a period of artistic renewal. Under its new leadership—headed by Kewsong Lee Artistic Director Lear deBessonet and Managing Director Mike Schleifer—LCT is broadening its reach while holding fast to its mission: to make exceptional theater accessible and to champion artists exploring new directions in storytelling.
This season has already featured the free Silent Disco Listening Party of Warriors, the return of deBessonet’s acclaimed revival of Ragtime, and the American premiere of Kyoto. Alongside The Comedy Series, upcoming productions include Amahl and the Night Visitors, The Whoopi Monologues, Night Side Songs, and A Woman Among Women, as well as a spring gala at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Since its founding in 1985, LCT has grown into one of the nation’s leading nonprofit theaters. Its productions have earned 87 Tony Awards, 97 Drama Desk Awards, 79 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 33 Obies, and one Pulitzer Prize. Nearly 300,000 people attend LCT performances each year.
About Seaview
Seaview, a Tony, Olivier, and Peabody Award–winning theater and film company, has become a key force behind some of the most ambitious stage and screen projects of the past decade. Its fall lineup includes The Queen of Versailles, Prince Faggot, The Ziegfeld Files, and The Least Problematic Woman in the World, with recent credits spanning Good Night and Good Luck to Stereophonic and An Enemy of The People. Seaview’s work continues to stretch across genres and platforms, from Broadway to prestige film and television.
For more information:
lct.org
facebook.com/LincolnCenterTheater
instagram.com/lctheater
tiktok.com/@lctheater
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