Never had a blind date from Hell? Meet “Becky Shaw”!

05/18/2026

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This intimate stage photo shows two actors sitting together in a bed with a high, grey fabric headboard against a dark backdrop. On the left, a woman with dark curly hair and a black polka-dot dress leans forward with an animated, wide-eyed expression, her hand raised as if in the middle of an intense explanation. Beside her, a man with wavy dark hair and a light blue button-down shirt sits back with a skeptical, slightly furrowed brow, holding a small remote control in his hands. The bed is covered with rumpled dark grey linens, and the lighting is focused tightly on the pair, creating a sense of private, late-night tension between the two characters. — Lauren Patten and Alden Ehrenreich in BECKY SHAW (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)

In this dramatic stage photograph, two actors are locked in a tense, emotional confrontation. A man with dark, swept-back hair, wearing a fuzzy orange cardigan and blue jeans, leans far over a black table, his hands firmly gripping the shoulders of a blonde woman. The woman, dressed in a cream-colored knit sweater, sits at the table and looks up at him with a mixture of pleading and distress. On the table between them are two green glass beer bottles and a partially open pizza box. The background is entirely black, focusing all attention on the intense physical proximity and the charged facial expressions of the two performers. — Madeline Brewer and Patrick Ball in BECKY SHAW (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)

Have you ever had well-meaning friends who set you up on a blind date, hoping you’ll hit it off with an equally unaware friend of theirs? How about that acquaintance you date once and definitely decide never to see again, only to find they’re unwilling to let go…ever?

That’s the problem confronting Max Garrett, a thirty-something financial planner, in Gina Gonfriddo’s dark comedy Becky Shaw, currently presented by the Second Stage at Broadway’s Hayes Theatre. Max, played by Alden Ehrenreich, was raised more by the Slater family than his own parents. Daughter Suzanna Slater (Lauren Patten) is his BFF.

Suzanna and her husband, Andrew (Patrick Ball), think that what Max needs is a romantic partner. Andrew suggests one of his co-workers, a quirky but shy young blonde, Becky Shaw (Madeline Brewer). But Suzanna’s mother, the snarky, imperious Susan (Linda Emond), is not sure setting up a blind date for Max and Becky is a good idea — even though she thinks it’s high time Max got over his avoidance of relationships.The date goes badly, due to no fault of Becky or Max. However, they end up at Becky’s place and, after a few drinks, they have sex.

This wide stage photograph captures a quiet, high-tension moment between two women in an elegant, neutral-toned living room. On the left, a younger woman with short dark hair, dressed casually in an oversized maroon hoodie, jeans, and white sneakers, sits on the edge of a cream-colored ornate sofa. She looks toward the other woman with a wary, expectant expression. On the right, an older woman with blonde hair sits poised in a gold-framed armchair, wearing a sophisticated light blue silk dress over pale leggings. She holds a walking cane across her lap and gazes back with a cool, steady look. The set is meticulously detailed, featuring light-patterned wallpaper, built-in white bookshelves filled with books and pottery, and a large abstract black-and-white painting on the wall. The room is bathed in warm, soft lighting from a table lamp and a window with sheer white curtains, creating a refined atmosphere that contrasts with the evident emotional distance between the two characters. — Lauren Patten and Linda Emond in BECKY SHAW (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)

The next day, Max is planning never to see Becky again. But Becky is determined to create a romance with Max. When it falls to Andrew to break the news to Becky, she starts transferring her affections to him. And while Suzanna’s resentment of Becky’s insertion into her family life affects her relations with Max, Susan, and Andrew, no one else sees anything wrong happening while Becky attempts to destroy Suzanna’s marriage.

Director Trip Cullman guides his talented cast through the spiraling lunacies of the script, although there are plot holes that are seemingly insurmountable. Chief among these are Becky’s increasingly false-sounding tales of past hurts and victimhood and her use of tears when nothing else seems to work. It is not quite believable that none of the other characters compare notes on, or even fact check, her stories — or even call her on them, even after repeated telling.

This stage photograph captures a moment of domestic friction between two characters seated on a cream-colored, ornate sofa. On the left, a man with wavy dark hair and a dark navy quarter-zip sweater sits with a stressed, weary expression, one hand clutching his forehead in frustration. Beside him, a blonde woman in a teal cowl-neck top and blue jeans leans in with a look of concerned urgency, her hand resting tentatively on his arm as if trying to get through to him. The background is a refined living room with striped wallpaper and soft, warm lighting from a window with sheer curtains. The composition focuses on the physical and emotional gap between the two performers, emphasizing a sense of mounting tension or a difficult conversation in progress. — Alden Ehrenreich and Madeline Brewer in BECKY SHAW (Photo by Marc J. Franklin)

Still, there are several humorous moments scattered throughout Becky Shaw, and the actors are dedicated to making the most of their characters. If a story about emotional manipulation and bad decisions of the well-to-do, coated with a brittle veneer of comedy, is to your taste, then by all means go see Becky Shaw.

Becky Shaw is presented by the Second Stage at the Hayes Theatre, 240 West 44th Street, through June 14, 2026. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to 2st.com.