plot synopsis

Two marriages have seemingly little in common: Esther and Schmuli are Orthodox Jews navigating strictly defined rules and roles, while Sophie and Abe are secular and free to make their own choices. But both couples are growing apart as they strive to balance their individual identities with the families they’ve created. As Esther tests the boundaries of her personal freedom, Abe falls into a correspondence with a movie star that will shake the foundations of his marriage and career. This funny, moving and thoughtful play asks if following one’s truth is worth it, no matter the cost.

select productions

— January 26-April 2, 2023, NYC, (Directed by Barry Edelstein), Roundabout Theatre Company

— January 19-February 19, 2023, Hamburg, Ernst Deutsch Theatre Company

— world premiere at The Old Globe, San Diego, April 6-May 6, 2018 (Directed by Barry Edelstein)

— City Theatre, Pittsburgh, Nov-Dec, 2022 (Directed by Colette Robert)

— Theater J, Washington DC, Feb-March, 2020 (Directed by Amber Paige McGinnis)

— Gesher Theatre, Tel Aviv, December, 2019 (Directed by Amir Wolf)

more press

“The Wanderers is that rare play worth seeing twice, with a plot to ruminate on for a lifetime.” — Washington City Paper

“This absorbing, twisty, and thoughtful play is the finest play of the year!…In addition to writing with searching depth, Ms. Ziegler can be quite funny…A play of superior quality.” – Charles Isherwood, The Wall Street Journal

“A charming, penetrating, deeply moving new play—it sparkles.” – The New York Sun

“The Wanderers lasts only 105 minutes, yet effectively and expertly holds enough storylines for a half dozen lesser plays.” – The Wrap

“The thoughtful, excellent The Wanderers, Anna Ziegler’s accomplished, tightly knit Chinese puzzle box of a play, is a treat for the eyes and the heart.” — The Jerusalem Post

“[Ziegler], an increasingly important writer, pulls off a high-wire act with her probing, admirably original world premiere play The Wanderers.” — San Diego Union Tribune

“[Ziegler’s play is] thoughtful, compassionate, funny…The playwright deftly displays the barbed and tender sides of [the central characters’] relationship…But The Wanderers is about more than bittersweet relationships and coping with the past; it’s about the human tendency to be chronically dissatisfied. Confused and yearning, Esther wonders, “Who really understands whether or not they are happy?” — The Washington Post

“Wise and witty…Ziegler is a pro at playing with form, and devising new ways to tell stories…[This] layered play…beautifully interweaves three romances… Each vignette closes with a mini-cliffhanger, and a game-changing twist about 80 minutes in makes viewers question how all the previous puzzle pieces fit together.” — Washington City Paper

“Cunningly devised, The Wanderers provides plenty to relish, then ponder. [Ziegler is] a fearless storyteller. Theater J’s production is formidable…makes for a great theater experience.” — DC Metro Theater Arts

“At 40, Anna Ziegler is the most-produced playwright at Washington’s Theater J — more than Neil Simon, Arthur Miller or anyone else…Ziegler’s writing is simply radiant. Her dialogue sings in ways both artful and lyrical…Existential anxieties filtered through smart, elegiac banter and dark-night-of-the-soul revelations are putty beneath Ziegler’s pen, yet there’s nothing heavy handed about Ziegler’s approach. As serious as the underlying issues are, The Wanderers is smartly witty, dryly funny and fully engaging…The characters [are] flawed, infuriating, thoughtless and lovingly believable…It’s Esther, the quiet, unexpected rebel who articulates the 21^st century’s existential question at the heart of Ziegler’s lovingly rendered play: “Who really understands whether or not they are happy?” Be sure to pick up a ticket for “The Wanderers.” It’s essential viewing.” — Washington Jewish Week

“Anna Ziegler’s beautiful and riveting new play peels away the window dressing of two seemingly disparate Jewish marriages—one secular, the other Hasidic—to reveal the unseen commonalities that bind the two, with a startling twist that explodes in emotion, the audience learning all is not as it appears to be…Witty and moving, this is a story about good people trying to do their best, but coming up short, something we can all understand.  If you love great theatre, you must see “The Wanderers.” Without a doubt, it is one of the best plays on offer this season.” —  MD Theatre Guide

“What makes Ziegler’s play of parallels so remarkable is her astounding craftsmanship. The Wanderers has been acclaimed by other critics as a “perfect play,” and it may be just that.” — Entertainment Central (Pittsburgh)

“Ms. Ziegler provides rich, funny, and satisfying portrayals, the details so compelling that they leave audiences gasping at times, nodding in agreement at others…Globe audiences should find themselves enthralled with what [Ziegler] has wrought.” — Talkin’ Broadway

“One of the best written, most clever and tightly constructed plays I have seen this year…Reminiscent of Tom Stoppard’s brilliant 1993 drama Arcadia…The Wanderers should not be missed.”  — Entertainment Today

“The search for meaning is the major theme of Anna Ziegler’s engaging and fascinating The Wanderers.” — San Diego Uptown News

“Thoughtful and riveting theater.” — San Diego CityBeat

“The Wanderers is funny and somber, poetic and whimsical, thought provoking and wise, tragic and celebratory…just about everything one would want to see in a play, new or otherwise, including some ah ha revelations that will open miles of conversation on the way home.” — Carol’s Theatre Reviews

“Playwright Anna Ziegler imbues The Wanderers with the sweetness and humor of a romantic comedy and the heartbreak of a tragedy.” —  San Diego Jewish World

“A thoughtful and emotional look at relationships…Keeps raising the emotional stakes…[Will leave you] contemplative and hopeful.” — Broadway World