Before it opens Capital Repertory’s 2026-27 season, former Post-Star editor Ken Tingley’s “The Last American Newspaper” will get an industry reading featuring both Broadway and local theater professionals in New York City.
Capital Repertory, in collaboration with New York Focus and the Adirondack Theatre Festival, which first commissioned the play, will present the reading on June 9 at Open Jar Studios in New York City. Sebastian Arcelus, known for his roles in television’s “House of Cards” and “Madam Secretary,” as well as Broadway’s “Elf” and “Into the Woods,” will star as Tingley.
Tingley’s play and memoir recount the triumphs and challenges of a small-town newspaper through his years as editor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Post-Star in Glens Falls. Adirondack Theatre Festival commissioned Tingley’s stage adaptation as part of the revival of its commissioning program in 2024. His play received workshop readings at Adirondack Theatre Festival and Capital Repertory last year.
Rounding out the cast of the reading is Nick Baroudi, an Adirondack Theatre Festival regular; Teisha Duncan, an artist-in-residence at Skidmore College; Queensbury native Beth Pietrangelo; William Oliver Watkins; Gabra Zackman; and David Girard, artistic director of Troy Foundry Theatre. Marcus Kyd will direct the reading; he will also helm the official world premiere running Sept. 25 to Oct. 18 at Capital Repertory.
A panel discussion with Miriam Weisfeld, producing artistic director of Capital Repertory, as well as Akash Mehta, editor-in-chief of the nonprofit newspaper New York Focus, and Tingley will follow the reading. Seats can be reserved by emailing Weisfeld at mweisfeld@attherep.org.