Classic Stage Company Announces Casting for MARCEL ON THE TRAIN

Classic Stage Company (CSC) is thrilled to announce the casting for the World Premiere of *Marcel on the Train*, co-written by Marshall Pailet and Tony Award nominee Ethan Slater, who also stars as Marcel Marceau. The show, directed by Pailet, features a talented cast that includes Julie Benko, Maddie Corman, Max Gordon Moore, Aaron Serotsky, and Alex Wyse. Previews start on February 5, 2026, with the opening night on February 22, 2026, running until March 15, 2026. The play tells the story of Marcel Marceau's courageous youth in Nazi-occupied France, highlighting how the loudest resistance can begin in quiet places. 

By Marshall Pailet & Ethan Slater

Directed by Marshall Pailet

Starring Ethan Slater as “Marcel Marceau”

featuring:

• Julie Benko
• Maddie Corman
• Max Gordon Moore
• Aaron Serotsky
• Alex Wyse

Previews Begin February 5, 2026

Opening Night February 22, 2026

Limited Engagement through March 15, 2026

(October 1, 2025 – New York, New York) Classic Stage Company (CSC) (Jill Rafson, Producing Artistic Director) is excited to announce casting for the World Premiere of Marcel on the Train, co-written by Marshall Pailet (Who’s Your Baghdaddy, Private Jones) & Tony Award nominee Ethan Slater (SpongeBob Squarepants, Wicked), directed by Pailet, and starring Slater as “Marcel Marceau.”

Joining Ethan Slater are:

• Julie Benko (Harmony)
• Maddie Corman (Accidentally Brave)
• Max Gordon Moore (Tammy Faye)
• Aaron Serotsky (August: Osage County)
• Alex Wyse (Good Night, Oscar)

Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Marcel on the Train will run from February 5 – March 15, 2026 at CSC’s Lynn F. Angelson Theater (136 East 13th Street). Opening night is set for February 22, 2026.

History remembers Marcel Marceau as the world’s greatest mime. But before the spotlight, he was a young man in Nazi-occupied France, guiding Jewish children to safety with nothing but courage and imagination. In the shadows of World War II, Marcel on the Train reveals the man behind the invisible mask. Co-written by and starring Tony Award® nominee Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants, Wicked), this inventive new play shows us how, sometimes, the loudest resistance begins in the most quiet places.

The creative team for Marcel on the Train includes Scott Davis (Set Designer), Sarah Laux (Costume Designer), Brandon Stirling Baker (Lighting Designer), Jill BC DuBoff (Sound Designer), and Geoff Josselson (Casting).

Marcel on the Train is presented by special arrangement with Mix and Match Productions (Maxwell Beer and Mitch Marois).

Individual tickets for Marcel on the Train will go on sale in November. To guarantee your tickets now, CSC is introducing the 2-Play FlexPass. See two shows for the price of one. Experience Marcel on the Train and Thornton Wilder’s final, unseen masterpiece The Emporium for just $140. Want more out of your experience? Get the best seats when you upgrade to PRIME for $200. For more information, visit ClassicStage.org/flexpass-info.

ABOUT CLASSIC STAGE COMPANY

Classic Stage Company (CSC) challenges the traditional perception of classic work by exploring and reimagining great stories across the world’s repertoire that illuminate our common humanity. As a home for the classics, CSC collaborates with artists to produce work that is inclusive, relevant, and accessible. CSC believes that theater can both reflect and improve society by reaching across cultural divides in order to foster shared empathy and understanding.

In 1967, director Christopher Martin founded CSC Repertory in a 100-seat theater at Rutgers Presbyterian Church on West 73rd Street. Following short stints in small spaces, CSC grew to the point where it needed a permanent home. In 1973, the theater moved to its present premises on 13th Street, an intimate space that was formerly an East Village carriage house.

In the 58 years since, CSC has become a leading Off-Broadway theater that is a home for new and established artists, as well as audiences seeking epic stories intimately told. Productions have been cited by all major Off-Broadway theater awards including the Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Body of Work.