On Sunday, March 15, 2026, Lauren B. Martin joined Axial Theatre for a special reading of Robert Schenkkan’s searing political drama Building the Wall — stepping into the role of “Gloria,” the determined history professor at the center of this Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright’s two-hander.
Directed by John Hickok and presented at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Pleasantville, New York, the production paired Lauren with Dan Walworth as Rick, the former private prison warden whose harrowing account of atrocities committed in immigrant detention centers Gloria has come to record. It is, as critics have noted, a role that demands a performer who can drive an entire drama through listening, probing, and moral clarity — and it is a role with serious theatrical pedigree. Gloria was originated in the play’s celebrated 2017 off-Broadway run at New World Stages by “Beyond the Gates” and “Law & Order: SVU” star (and Lauren’s fellow “As the World Turns” star) Tamara Tunie.