Junk, a play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar about a fictionalized version of 1980s financier Michael Milken who was imprisoned for securities fraud, will be performed at the Arena Stage from April 5 through May 5.
Directed by Jackie Maxwell, the play is set in Wall Street and centers around characters implicated in fraud, including the investigating reporters.
“As the brilliant and calculating Robert Merkin prepares a hostile takeover of a family-owned manufacturing company, he is not concerned about crossing the line to get what he wants in the name of ‘saving America.’ Inspired by the volatile and cut-throat financial world and the junk bond giants of the 1980s, ‘this epic piece of work’ (Chicago Tribune) is an enticing look at the money makers, their hubris and those who tried to hold them accountable,” according to the play brief.
Actress Nancy Sun, who’s making her Arena Stage debut with this play, in an interview with Broadway World, said that Junk was an origin myth of American greed. “It follows the 1980’s junk bond king, Bob Merkin, as he puts together his most ambitious deal yet….while also following the powers-that-be who want to stop him. Junk is Shakespeare crossed with Mamet – and of course, still uniquely Akhtar,” she said.
Sun plays a third-generation Chinese-American reporter who befriends the moguls she is reporting on.
Junk previously played on Broadway in 2017. It was nominated for two Tony Awards for “Best Play” and “Best Lighting Design” in 2018.
The set design for the play has been made by Misha Kachman and the costume design is by Judith Bowden. Junk is sponsored by Joan and David Maxwell, with AT&T as the corporate sponsor.
It runs for about two hours with no intermission. The tickets are priced from $56 to $95 and available here.
Akhtar is an American playwright and novelist of Pakistani origin. He received the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with his play Disgraced. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, and was named the most produced play in the country for the 2015–16 Season.