Academy Award nominee Jennifer Tilly is currently performing in a revival of Elmer L. Rice’s 1923 expressionist play, The Adding Machine, at the Theatre at St. Clement’s in Hell’s Kitchen. The production, directed by Scott Elliott, is scheduled to run through May 17, 2026, according to a report from Art Threat.
Tilly portrays Mrs. Zero, a character who opens the two-hour and 15-minute production with an extensive monologue delivered from a Murphy bed. The play explores the existential crisis of Mr. Zero, played by Daphne Rubin-Vega, who is replaced by automation after 25 years of employment.
The production features a cast including Sarita Choudhury as Daisy and Michael Cyril Creighton in multiple roles. Set designer Derek McLane utilized modular filing cabinets to create the show’s various environments, while Thomas Bradshaw provided revisions to Rice’s original 100-year-old script.
| Role | Actor | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Zero | Jennifer Tilly | Bullets Over Broadway, The Real Housewives |
| Mr. Zero | Daphne Rubin-Vega | Rent (Broadway), In the Heights (film) |
| Daisy | Sarita Choudhury | And Just Like That…, Homeland |
| Multiple Roles | Michael Cyril Creighton | The Good Wife, Broadway veteran |
The performance has drawn praise for its exploration of corporate greed and the displacement of human workers by technology. These themes have been noted by critics as particularly relevant to contemporary discussions regarding workplace automation and artificial intelligence.
“Jennifer Tilly’s tour-de-force monologue at the beginning of The New Group’s revival of The Adding Machine immediately sets the tone for what is one of the most exciting off-Broadway productions in recent memory.” said Exeunt Magazine.
The New Group has scheduled a live stream of the performance for May 5, 2026, at 7 PM Eastern for remote audiences. Tickets for the in-person show in Manhattan start at $50, with the production recommended for audiences aged 13 and up due to mature language and period-appropriate slurs.
