FROM THE ARCHIVE · OCTOBER 2, 2019
A night at Betrayal: Broadway, a signed Playbill & a locked stage door
On October 2, 2019, I was in New York City for New York Comic Con, but one of my memories from that trip happened away from the convention floor. I went to Broadway to see Betrayal—and ended the night with my Playbill signed by the entire cast.
An evening at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
The production was Harold Pinter’s Betrayal at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, the revival had opened on September 5, 2019, just a few weeks before my visit.
The play follows an affair and the damage it causes to a marriage and a friendship, with much of the story unfolding in reverse chronological order. Rather than simply watching a secret unravel, you look backward through the relationships and discover how they reached that point.
Tom Hiddleston played Robert, Zawe Ashton played his wife Emma, and Charlie Cox played Jerry, Robert’s friend and Emma’s lover. Eddie Arnold appeared as the Waiter. Hiddleston, Ashton, and Cox were all making their Broadway debuts in this production.
It made for a very different kind of celebrity encounter during a Comic Con trip: first seeing the actors perform on stage, then getting the chance to meet them afterward.
A Playbill signed by the entire cast
After the performance, I stuck around outside the stage door. I was able to get the entire cast to sign my Playbill, turning a souvenir from the show into a keepsake from the whole evening.
That’s what I enjoy about collecting autographs in person. When I look back at something like this, I remember where I was and how I got it. This Playbill brings me back to that night in New York, the theatre marquee, and waiting outside after the show.
Watch the background: Charlie Cox at the stage door
I also captured some video from outside the theatre. Keep an eye on the background: you can see Charlie Cox locked out of the stage door and having to get let back in!
It’s a funny little moment to have caught alongside the autograph signing, and another reason I’m glad I kept the video from that night.
Watch on YouTubeI went to New York for Comic Con, but the memories from that trip stretch beyond the convention itself. A Broadway performance, a fully signed Playbill, and an unexpected moment outside the stage door all became part of the story.