How a Broadway Star Turned Tour Life into a Massive D&D Homebrew Epic
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Kevin Clay, star of The Book of Mormon on Broadway, shares how life on tour led him to run a massive, long-running Dungeons and Dragons campaign with his castmates.
Life on tour leaves plenty of downtime during the day, and for the cast of Broadway hits, that free time often goes toward creative outlets far away from the stage. As reported by Polygon, Kevin Clay, who currently stars as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon, spent years running an intricate Dungeons and Dragons campaign born out of the routine of traveling the country with a theatrical production. Alongside co-stars like Jacob Ben-Shmuel and Cody Strand, Clay turned hotel rooms and backstage green rooms into the birthplace of Kardelheim, a deeply detailed homebrew setting that evolved from a casual pastime into a multi-year collaborative storytelling saga.
What makes Clay's campaign stand out to tabletop fans is how naturally it weaves the theatricality of professional acting into the mechanics of the game. Characters dealt with heavy narrative themes, such as a cleric experiencing a spiritual crisis over the casual use of magic in a fantasy world. That kind of deep roleplay is second nature for actors whose daily job is dissecting complex scripts and character motivations. When the group eventually transitioned to local games in New York City, Clay stepped into the permanent Dungeon Master chair, welcoming a revolving roster of performers to test their tactical and narrative skills against his custom world building.
The resulting city-state of Kardelheim and its sprawling lore highlight the unique ways tabletop RPGs serve as a vital social anchor for creative professionals. For modern gamers who treat TTRPGs as a primary social space, stories like this remind us that the best campaigns often grow out of genuine community and shared downtime. As Clay prepares for special anniversary events on Broadway, his journey shows how the collaborative magic of tabletop gaming easily rivals any stage production for sheer entertainment value. You can read the full, original interview over at Polygon.
Tags: Dungeons & Dragons, Tabletop Gaming, Broadway, Culture, Community
Original article: Polygon