"High-school detention has no business being as entertaining as it is in 'Exception to the Rule,' a terrifically funny and subtly potent new play by Dave Harris..."
—CHARLES ISHERWOOD, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
"A 'Breakfast Club' for the modern high school — quicker, crasser, and funnier."
—GRACE BYDALEK, NEW YORK SUN
"An exceptional new play, with a talented cast."
—ROBERT HOFFLER, THE WRAP
"Explosive and hilarious. Everyone should see this play."
—JUAN MICHAEL PORTER II, NEW YORK THEATRE GUIDE
Playwright Dave Harris’s new play crackles with humor and suspense—confronting the tactics for surviving institutions that were not built for you.
How do you make it through detention? In the worst high school in the city, six Black students are stuck in Room 111. They flirt. They fight. They tease. Should they follow the rules and stay put, or find an escape? Are the walls keeping them in, or are stronger forces at play?
Running time: 1 hour and 25 minutes, no intermission.
Please be advised: Herbal Cigarettes, strobe effects, and strong language are used in this production.
Exception to the Rule Cast
- Erika
- MaYaa Boateng
- Tommy
- Malik Childs
- Abdul
- Mister Fitzgerald
- Dayrin
- Toney Goins
- Mikayla
- Amandla Jahava
- Dasani
- Claudia Logan
Exception to the Rule Creative
- Playwright
- Dave Harris
- Director
- Miranda Haymon
- Co-Scenic Design
- Reid Thompson
- Co-Scenic Design
- Kamil James
- Costume Design
- Sarita Fellows
- Lighting Design
- Cha See
- Sound Design
- Lee Kinney
CHECK OUT EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND FEATURES
Discover the artists and history behind Exception to the Rule in the Upstage Playgoer’s Guide.
Learn more about the history of the production and its creators through a lively discussion with Roundabout Teaching Artists.
- Alec Baldwin
- James Costa and John Archibald
- Linda L. D’Onofrio
- Peggy and Mark Ellis
- Jeanne Hagerty
- Sylvia Golden
- Angelina Lippert
- K. Myers
- Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater
- Ira Pittelman
- Mary Solomon
- Lauren and Danny Stein
- Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
- The Tow Foundation
About Roundabout Underground
Roundabout Underground productions are produced in Roundabout's Black Box Theatre located within the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre. It is an initiative designed to foster new works by emerging theatre artists. Roundabout Underground allows Roundabout to take artistic risks that are not viable on its larger stages, whether giving a debut production to an emerging writer or allowing an experienced director to go back to his or her creative roots.
In addition to receiving an opportunity to debut their works as full-scale productions, up-and-coming playwrights receive the significant artistic and financial support of the country's largest not-for-profit theatre and a nurturing environment in which to debut their work.
Note: Roundabout Underground productions cannot be purchased as part of a season package.
Presented at
Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre
Black Box Theatre
111 West 46th Street, New York, NY
between 6th and 7th Avenues