With Sharp Performances and Elegant Suspense, Vineland Place Turns Palm Beach Dramaworks Into a House of Literary Secrets.

May 19th, 2026

Palm Beach Dramaworks closes its 2025-26 season with a world premiere of Steven Dietz’s compelling Vineland Place. It is a sleek, intelligent cat-and-mouse mystery that steadily tightens its grip until the final moments, offering equal measures of both intellectual intrigue and emotional unease.

Dietz, one of America’s most consistently compelling dramatists, has crafted a play that feels both literary and cinematic without abandoning the immediacy that only live theatre can provide. The premise is deceptively simple: young writer Henry Sanders is hired to complete the final manuscript of a celebrated novelist whose death has left behind unfinished pages and unanswered questions. What begins as a dream assignment quickly spirals into something far more dark and dangerous.

As Henry, Ross Cowan makes an impressive Palm Beach Dramaworks debut. He brings an appealing intelligence and vulnerability to the aspiring writer. Cowan’s performance is filled with surprises as his character unfolds. He is at times both cat and mouse in the series of plot twists that is Vineland Place.

Equally engaging is Anne-Marie Cusson as Victoria Brody, the enigmatic widow whose invitation sets the story in motion. Cusson delivers a beautifully layered performance filled with subtle shifts in tone and intention that keep Henry and the audience perpetually off balance. The two together maintain crisp pacing throughout the 85-minute show’ and achieve very natural sounding dialogue, taking time to listen, process and respond to the other in a way that feels organic.

Anne Mundell’s set evokes both elegance and isolation, creating a space where secrets seem embedded in the walls themselves. Lighting designer Paul Black expertly manipulates shadow and focus. I loved the huge, ominous shadow created by Cusson’s entrance at the top of the show.

What distinguishes Vineland Place from many contemporary thrillers is that it avoids cliches and predictability. It also presents both characters as whole people – neither one a victim nor a villain. Both characters display emotional restraint while leaving the audience pondering what emotional stakes are hidden beneath that restraint. Vineland Place brings it’s audience the electricity of collectively experiencing suspense in a darkened theatre. That is what makes for a real mystery, and a memorable theatrical experience. By the final revelation, the audience is left startled, satisfied, and slightly wary of trusting appearances — exactly what a good thriller should accomplish.

Cast:

• Anne-Marie Cusson, Victoria Brody
• Ross Cowan, Henry Sanders

Creatives:

• J. Barry Lewis, Director
• Suzanne Clement Jones, Stage Manager
• Anna-Teressa Soto-Andujar, Assistant Stage Manager
• Anne Mundell, Scenic Designer
• Brian O’Keefe, Costume Designer
• Paul Black, Lighting Designer
• Robertson Witmer, Sound Designer/Composer
• Adam J. Thompson, Resident Projection Designer 

Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2000 and located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach. It is housed in the Don & Ann Brown Theatre.  Each season, the award-winning company produces five shows and offers a wide variety of programs for students at the theatre and in schools. Committed to fostering the future of theatre, PBD has become a hub for playwrights in Florida and around the country to nurture their work through the Perlberg Festival of New Plays. PBD is a member of Theatre Communications Group, Florida Professional Theatres Association, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. In 2024, PBD was honored as Non-Profit of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches.

Tickets for all performances of Palm Beach Dramaworks’ production of Vineland Place are $95, except for opening night ($115) and previews ($75). Student tickets are available for $15 with a valid K-12 or university/college ID, and anyone under 40 pays $40 (no additional fees) with a photo ID. Tickets for educators and active military are half price with proper ID (other restrictions apply). Post-performance discussions follow Wednesday and Thursday matinees. Group rates are also available.

The Don & Ann Brown Theatre is located in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, at 201 Clematis Street.  Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season are now on sale. Please visit palmbeachdramaworks.org for more information. Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30pm. Matinee performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased through the box office, in person or by phone (561.514.4042 ext 2), and online 24 hours a day at palmbeachdramaworks.org.