Stranger Things: The First Shadow Play Undergoes Significant Changes Ahead of Broadway Debut
The highly anticipated play, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, has finally hit Broadway, offering fans a deeper dive into the world of Netflix’s hit show. The spin-off production takes audiences back to Hawkins in 1959, expanding on Henry Creel’s origin story before his transformation into Vecna, the main antagonist of the Duffer Brothers’ series.
According to an interview with the show’s creative team on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the play underwent significant changes during production on Stranger Things‘ final season. As reported by Gizmodo, Ross Duffer revealed that the play was designed to serve as a bridge between seasons, with a storyline that communicates closely with season four and sets up the events of season five.
"It is in communication a lot with season four and it’s setting up five in a way, but it is gonna be interesting. I think it informs five if you’ve seen the play and then watch season five, but then at the same time if you’re seeing the play after you’ve seen season five it’ll probably play a little bit differently," Duffer stated, as quoted by Gizmodo.
The creative team behind the play faced a significant challenge in balancing the story, ensuring that it would not spoil the season five experience for viewers while still being meaningful and engaging for those who attend the play. As Gizmodo reported, Duffer mentioned that the team worked closely to find the right balance, referencing the documentary Behind the Curtain: Stranger Things The First Shadow, which is now streaming on Netflix.
"We’re trying to figure out how much information to put in this play because we don’t want to ruin the season five experience for anyone and we don’t want people to feel left out that are unable to get to New York or to London," Duffer explained, as reported by Gizmodo. "But at the same time, we want the play to be meaningful and to play a role, so I think finding that balance took a while to find exactly what that balance is, but we’re pretty happy with where it is now."
Gizmodo also reported that Kate Trefry, Stranger Things series writer and The First Shadow playwright, revealed that the play was initially designed to stand alone, allowing audiences to enjoy it without prior knowledge of the Netflix series. However, as production on the final season and play progressed simultaneously, the two became inextricably linked.
"I was working on writing the play and writing season five at the same time, and so they’re to me like just two pieces of a whole and they’re inextricable from each other," Trefry stated, as quoted by Gizmodo. "I think that the experience of consuming both together is gonna be really fun and satisfying to see how connected they are."
The play’s production was further complicated by changes to the season five finale, which affected the final on-stage product. Gizmodo reported that Ross Duffer confirmed that the finale’s evolution impacted the play’s script, with changes made to story points and the play’s overall narrative.
"I think part of the challenge [was] what you’re seeing in that play is, like, we [and] Kate [were] doing [season] five—[but at] a certain point [she was] just here doing this while we were filming," Duffer explained, as reported by Gizmodo. "And then we were working on finale stuff and as Matt and I were doing [the] finale, stuff was changed. Everything was evolving in real time and I think that’s what made it the biggest challenge, because as we got to script we realized certain story points, we needed to change things, and that affected the play, but they were in the middle of doing the play."
The creative team’s discussion on Stranger Things: The First Shadow is available to watch on YouTube, offering fans a unique insight into the making of the play. As Gizmodo reported, the play’s transformation and evolution serve as a testament to the dedication and commitment of the creative team behind the Stranger Things franchise.
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