FEBRUARY 5 – MARCH 22, 2026
FULL CAST OF MARCEL ON THE TRAIN
MARCEL ON THE TRAIN
Co-written by MARSHALL PAILET & ETHAN SLATER
Directed by MARSHALL PAILET
History remembers Marcel Marceau as the world’s greatest mime. But before the spotlight, he was a young man in Nazi-occupied France, guiding Jewish children to safety with nothing but courage and imagination. In the shadows of World War II, Marcel on the Train reveals the man behind the invisible mask. Co-written by and starring Tony Award® nominee Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants, Wicked), this inventive new play shows us how, sometimes, the loudest resistance begins in the most quiet places.
Presented by special arrangement with Mix and Match Productions (Maxwell Beer and Mitch Marois).
RUN TIME: 100 Minutes, no intermission.
Please Note: Late seating is not available for Marcel on the Train. We recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early.
Learn more about Marcel on the Train with our Digital Program and Show Guide!
PERFORMANCE CALENDAR
PLEASE NOTE:
The role of Marcel will be portrayed by Harrison Bryan during the performances on February 24, February 25, and March 1.
The role of Berthe will be portrayed by Rora Brodwin during the performance on March 19.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Classic Perspectives Talkbacks:
Join What Will the Neighbors Say? Co-Artistic Directors and Classic Perspectives Season Curators James Clements and Sam Hood Adrain for a dynamic and provocative series of post-show events deepening engagement with the latest Classic Stage Company piece, Marcel on the Train.
February 17 @ 7:00pm
Smile: A Panel on Mime and Clown as Resistance
A panel on the politics of clown and mime, especially in a French context (Bouffon, Auguste), and how the satire and mimicry inherent in these art forms can puncture and destabilize extremism. Featuring: Sophie Amieva (actor, clown, educator, and Artistic Director of notAmuse Theatre), Mycah Hogan (physical theater artist and educator), and Bill Bowers (mime artist, educator, and project collaborator for Marcel on the Train).
February 24th @ 7:00pm
Mime Workshop with Broken Box Mime
Stick around after the show for an interactive mime workshop hosted by the team from Broken Box Mime, a contemporary physical theater company that tells original stories beyond language barriers. With a mission to activate the imagination of audiences, contemporize the art of mime, and remind us all of the power of simple storytelling, this post show workshop will allow audience members to actively find their inner mime from the comfort of your seat.
March 1st @ 2:00pm
Degenerates: Art and Resistance in Vichy France
This post show conversation with soon-to-be-announced historians and curators specializing in art history from Vichy France will be a historical and dramaturgical exploration of artistic repression, reaction, and resistance in that era. Contextualizing the work of Marcel Marceau in his social and political era, it will explore how “degenerate” makers and their art have informed contemporary cultural conversation around the era.
March 10th @ 7:00pm
Marcel on the Train: A Conversation with Ethan Slater and Marshall Pailet
A post-show conversation with the creators of Marcel on the Train, Ethan Slater (Wicked, Assassins, The SpongeBob Musical) and Marshall Pailet (Who’s Your Baghdaddy, Triassic Parq), diving into the writing process, research, and overall creative journey of the piece.
Other Events:
February 14 @ 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Sip & Swoon
Join us for a special Valentine’s Day concession offer: buy one, get one drink free on coffee, wine, and beer before the show. Eligible for all ticket holders for either performance on February 14.
February 28th @ 2:00pm
Sensory-Adapted Performance
CSC is proud to partner with TDF to offer a sensory-adapted performance of Marcel on the Train for neurodiverse audiences. Slight modifications to sound, lighting, and staging to reduce extreme sensory stimulation will be made. Contact the Box Office for more information.
March 1st @ 2:00pm
Free Childcare Offered
CSC is proud to partner with Broadway Babysitters to provide drop-off childcare services for this matinee performance of Marcel on the Train. Childcare services are currently at capacity for this performance. To join the waitlist for drop-off childcare services, please fill out this request form.
March 3rd @ 7:00pm
Affinity Night: Hamantaschen & Hearty Toasts
Join us following the performance on March 3 for a Purim-themed reception. Enjoy drinks, hamantaschen, and a free-to-enter raffle in celebration of the power of resistance and perseverance.
March 7th @ 2:00pm
Teen Takeover
Any middle and high school students may use code TEEN10 for $10 tickets at the Standard (blue) level when booking tickets to Teen Takeover performances. More information about Teen Takeover performances is available here.
March 10th @ 7:00pm
ASL Interpretation
CSC is proud to partner with Hands On to provide ASL interpretation during this performance of Marcel on the Train. For tickets in the interpretation zone, please visit HandsOn.org
THE ARTISTS
ETHAN SLATER (Co-author & “Marcel”) is a writer and actor best known for playing Spongebob in Broadway’s SpongeBob Squarepants (for which he received a Tony Nomination and won the Drama Desk award), and for playing Boq in movies Wicked and Wicked: For Good (coming November 2025). He was most recently onstage in Spamalot on Broadway, and most recently at CSC playing The Balladeer/Lee Harvey Oswald in Assassins. His musical, Edge of the World (written with Nick Blaemire) also had a sold out one-night only concert at CSC, making Classic Stage feel very much like an artistic home. Similar to Marcel Marceau, Ethan’s work on film and on stage has been greatly inspired by two things: physical comedians, and being Jewish. So when Marshall called to tell him of the birth of his first child, Ethan couldn’t wait to interrupt and add to that joy with the idea for this play. Selected other Film/TV/Theater: Lost on a Mountain In Maine (dir. Andrew Kightlinger), The Designer (upcoming, dir. Em Johnson), “Elsbeth” (CBS), “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon), “Fosse/Verdon” (FX), Who’s Your Badghdaddy (off-broadway dir. Marshall Pailet), PEMDAS (OYL Theater Company, dir. Ianthe Demos). Graduate Vassar College.
MARSHALL PAILET (Co-author & Director) started out making theater in his parents’ basement, and after walking a winding path past being a child performer on Broadway, classically trained ballet dancer, music theory and philosophy major, he now makes theater for a living. Most recently he wrote book, music, lyrics and directed the musical Private Jones about a Deaf Welsh sniper in WW1, which received the Helen Hayes for Best New Musical from its recent production at the Signature Theatre (VA), and the Connecticut Critics Circle Best Director Award from its production at Goodspeed Musicals. He’s the co-writer/director of two Off-Broadway musicals that garnered two New York Times Critics’ Picks, Who’s Your Baghdaddy and Triassic Parq, and has written/directed for DreamWorks, RKO, PBS, and franchises such as “VeggieTales,” Shrek, “Magic School Bus,” and Hershey’s Chocolate World (Brass Ring Winner, baby!). Upcoming writing/directing work includes Private Jones and Loch Ness, and upcoming directing includes Nikola Tesla, Snow Goose, and Fountain. Ethan pitched the idea for Marcel on the Train the morning Marshall’s first child was born. It was a very short and tired conversation ending with Ethan saying “maybe this isn’t the best time.” But the next day Marshall was like… huh that was actually a good idea, I look forward to writing about this play’s genesis someday using the third person. Graduate Yale University. marshallpailet.com