Video: On the Red Carpet at MOTHER PLAY Opening Night

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Jessica Lang is back on Broadway alongside Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan Bolger in Mother Play by Paula Vogel

directed by Tina Landau. And we're here on opening night to celebrate with the company

What's made this so special for you being back this time, Jessica

The fact that it's a brand new play. I've never done a new play before

I've only done the classics. So, you know, it's starting from scratch

It's creating a character that's never been seen before and telling a story that's being told for the very first time

And that is very exciting. And sharing the stage with Jim and Celia, what that's been like for you

I mean, it has been from like day one, and I hate to sound all Paulianish about this and everything

but we've had a great kind of wonderful symbiotic relationship from the very beginning

And it's only grown over time. Yeah, I feel very fortunate. Final question is, you know

we were all introduced to the theater because we saw a film star or a TV star

It said, oh, they do this live. You may be introducing a whole new generation

to live theater, what that means to you. Well, I mean, I think, you know

there's nothing more thrilling than live theater because you never know you walk out on stage

and every night it's a brand new experience and you have this kind of extraordinary exchange with an audience So yeah I mean if it excites young actors I think that fabulous I admired Paula for so long

And I think of all of the playwrights that she has influenced and taught

And what a massive mark she has made on the American theater

And to be a part of an original production of hers is beyond what I could have imagined

I feel like every time you hear one of these Broadway interviews, everybody says, like, we're like a family

But I think there really is something about doing a play about a family

that brings up so much of your own personal experience inside of your own family and the kind of sharing

and the kind of intimacy and then the rigor that is required to make a new play

It's just, it really connects you to the people. and I'm just, I'm such a massive fans of both of them as actors

but more than that, keeping their company as artists, as humans is like really, really next level

You know, I've worked on other things before. I remember doing Boys in the Band, and Mart, Mart was still around then

And I was so scared to see Mart because I knew that I was sort of playing the Mart character

And back then, I was still just so like, Oh, God, is the writer okay with this

He was as gracious and as wonderful as could be. But it was me

This I a little bit older I done it before I was more able to calm down and really absorb how much Paula loves her brother and really get to enjoy that

She loves Carl so much. And because of that, she gives the actor playing Carl so much to do and so many colors to

play with. And so that was, that was nice. That was really nice

And just sharing the stage with Jessica Lang and Celia Keene and Bolger, the three of you, what is it like

I'll never be the same actor again. I've said that, but it's true and from both of them

I have a relationship with Celia on stage and off that I can only thank the universe for putting us together at the time that they did

And Jessica is, I've never worked with anyone like her. I've never worked with anybody who dives in so pletka

playfully to some of the most painful, emotional things in the world

And it was like an acting class. It's been just wonderful. I'm very happy at the moment

I'm surrounded by love for and with the actors and our creator, Paula, and second stage

And I just feel honored to be here. I love that the play doesn't fit into any traditional categories

and if anyone ever thinks, oh, it's following this trope or that trope

it's really not. It really turns things a little on its head and it keeps shifting tonally and stylistically And I feel like that what life is like and that what this family is like I so honored to work with these artists

I feel happy, and I feel at peace. Here's what I wanted to do

I wanted to craft a theatrical ritual of forgiveness. And I have had the greatest artist, Dina Landau, these three actors

and the entire company I felt embraced and safe. Because we spoke very early on in the rehearsal process

It was thrilling to go into the rehearsal room. What did you enjoy the most about having those three actors

and Tina in the room watching your words lift off the page

Well, they're truth tellers. I mean, here's the other thing is, you know

if you can't listen to the most brilliant collaborators, we're in the wrong business as playwrights

They had the gentlest way of questioning the words of asking, is there a way to say this quicker

Is there a way to go deeper? I mean, all three of them and Tina pulled out the best work I could give them

The other reason I'm happy in a piece is I'm so happy to be in this league of writers on Broadway this year

I am so thrilled to be in the same season with Brandon, Jacob Jenkins, with Amy Herzog

you know, with all of these remarkable book writers like Christopher Diaz

I mean, this is an extraordinary season, and I'm so proud to be a playwright among these brilliant playwrights