(WESTFIELD, NJ) -- Westfield Community Players presents The Nerd by Larry Shue across three weekends from May 2-16, 2026. The production is directed by Christopher Peterson. Aspiring young architect Willum Cubbert, in Terre Haute, Indiana, has often told his friends about the debt he owes to Rick Steadman, a fellow ex-GI whom he has never met but who saved his life after he was seriously wounded in Vietnam.
He has written to Rick to say that, as long as he is alive, “you will have somebody on Earth who will do anything for you” – so Willum is delighted when Rick shows up unexpectedly at his apartment on the night of his 34th birthday party. But his delight soon fades as it becomes apparent that Rick is a hopeless “nerd” – a bumbling oaf with no social sense, little intelligence and less tact.
Rick stays on, and his continued presence among Willum and his friends leads to one uproarious incident after another, until the normally placid Willum finds himself contemplating violence...
The cast includes Jason Benjamin (Wilum Cubbert), Katy Cockrell (Tansy McGinnis), Sean Buckley (Axel Hammond), Brad Forenza (Rick Steadman), Joe Lozito (Warnock Waldgrave), Paula Ehrenberg (Clelia Waldgrave), and William Lozito (Thor Waldgrave). The production is produced by Sharon McGuire and Stage Managed by Fred Cuozzo.
Performances take place May 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 at 8:00pm and May 3 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. The theater is located at 1000 North Avenue W in Westfield, New Jersey. NOTE: the play contains some coarse language, as well as slapstick violence.
The Nerd was first presented by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in April 1981 under the artistic direction of John Dillon and featuring its author Larry Shue as Willum Cubbert. On March 22, 1987, the play premiered on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Directed by Charles Nelson Reilly, the Broadway production featured Mark Hamill, Robert Joy, Peter Riegert, Pamela Blair and Patricia Kalember.
Westfield Community Players (WCP), founded in 1934, has brought more than 300 comedies, dramas, musicals and mysteries to life on their stage. All productions are presented in their own 150 seat theater on the corner of Edgewood Avenue and North Avenue West in Westfield. With their productions, they continue to be part of the active cultural scene in Westfield and surrounding communities.
WCP is committed to offering hands-on participation for those wishing to learn more about various aspects of live theatrical production and performance while providing a varied theater experience to a broad audience. They do that by actively seeking volunteers to keep their theater functioning, and by maintaining an open-casting policy where everyone can audition for all of their scheduled plays.
