It took Matthew Weiner seven years to get “Mad Men,” widely considered one of TV’s greatest series, onto the small screen. His latest project has required even more patience.

“You know, I’ve been working on this play for nine years,” Weiner said last week, somewhat astonished.

As TV fans impatiently wonder when Weiner — who won Emmys as both a writer/producer on “The Sopranos” and as the creator of “Mad Men” — will return to TV, the Baltimore County native has been focused on a new challenge. “John Wilkes Booth: One Night Only!” Weiner’s playwriting debut, is having its world premiere at Baltimore Center Stage. Previews began Thursday, while opening night is May 23. Despite the title, the show runs through June 15.

It’s fitting the 59-year-old is achieving his next career milestone in a city never too far from his mind. Growing up in Baldwin, he attended the Park School of Baltimore through fourth grade before moving to Los Angeles. Decades later, Weiner removed ad man Don Draper out of “Mad Men’s” usual Manhattan setting and took him to Baltimore for a memorably revealing season premiere.

Now, he’s telling the story of infamous Marylander Booth, who altered the course of U.S. history after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in 1865. The play stars Ben Ahlers (HBO’s “The Gilded Age”) and Adrienne C. Moore (“Orange is the New Black”).

For Weiner, an ace writer known for his meticulous attention to detail, it’s a chance to shed new light on a historical figure whose story many think they know, but will reveal new surprises and layers that are relevant to audiences today.

Ahead of the production’s debut, Weiner discussed his time in the Baltimore area, the reason he’s debuting the play here and which “Mad Men” characters still spark his creativity.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

When you think back about your time in Baltimore, what stands out most today?

It’s weird because there’s very little that’s still here. The sub, the Torsk, was still in the Harbor. It was painted with the tiger face. Johns Hopkins Hospital, where I was born, that neighborhood was terrifying. It was still really burned out from the riots when I was growing up. But I also lived in the country and certainly going to Park School — when I think of autumn, I think of that place.

The other thing that stands out is Pikesville, Towson, Timonium, Cross Keys, these places were always, like, ideal suburbs. And all the places that I went to in these places are gone. But, you know, my parents are New Yorkers. So we spent a lot of time going to Jack’s Deli and [similar] places that are down here. So I have good memories of it. ... I don’t remember my parents being that happy here, so that colors it a little bit for me.

But it is in me. All the times it comes up, every time it’s name-checked — “Diner,” John Waters, David Simon — I see what it is, but I’m somewhere in between those things. … And I don’t eat crabs.

Oh, is that right?

Yeah, I just don’t like ‘em. It’s not even a religious thing. It’s always a bummer when I come to visit. I’m like, I’ll eat pit beef. There are other things to eat here.

You just gave me my headline. Let’s talk about the play. Center Stage Creative Director Stevie Walker-Webb is directing “John Wilkes Booth.” What made you want to work with Stevie and bring this story here?

I wanted him no matter what. And then he got this job, and we were like, “It was meant to be.” Because this is about Baltimore. It takes place in Baltimore, takes place in Maryland. You’ll hear a lot of name checks — Cockeysville, Port Tobacco.

Stevie’s just an incredibly insightful, talented person. And we are aligned creatively in so many ways. First of all, I’m not directing this. This is someone else directing it. I direct a lot and I’ve never directed for stage, not since college. So I am learning from him. At this point, I am his student. And the thing that we share is an absolute commitment to entertainment. So even though the play has a really big point, and we want people to see this and have this experience and hear what is being said, we’re both always looking for the jokes. And it sounds like a weird topic to have such a thing. But that’s what he understood right away. He understood right away that people needed to see it.

It sounds like, from your perspective, that there’s a lot the general public doesn’t know about John Wilkes Booth.

Yes, but they know it because it lives with us. He is the original Proud Boy. … He joined the Know Nothings when he was 8 years old, 9 years old. His sister took him to the meetings. The Know Nothings are a party — other than calling themselves Native Americans — they are based on a philosophy that is anti-immigrant, certainly anti-women’s rights. They refer to foreigners as a gangrene.

When his fortunes changed, it was his descent into poverty. And Maryland’s not a slave state. He was not raised with slaves or anything like that, but he has this deep resentment for losing his whiteness. ... So he’s talking about equality on some level for him and this deep-seeded thing that is part of America, which is this anti-authority attitude.

So just in the abstract, what makes a 26-year-old go into a theater and shoot someone? That’s where you’re starting. And, you know, Luigi [Mangione] was 26.

It sounds like the play will feel relevant today.

In 2015, it didn’t seem as relevant as it does now. And [the play] hasn’t really changed that much. But really, the thing that changed was — I was like, people need to hear this. They don’t want to hear it. They’re going to be entertained, so they will enjoy hearing it. But you will never be surprised by an election again. It is completely relevant.

And also it captures rage on both sides. You know, I’m skirting this whole thing: I haven’t used the word “racist” in here. That’s what’s at the heart of it. But I’m also interested in what’s at the heart of racism? In America, in particular. And I’m not the first person to notice that it’s economic or that it’s related to childhood insecurity. But, you know, [Booth] had a very famous brother who did not have the same politics and didn’t shoot anybody. So then, what is it uniquely about America that makes this guy want this so badly?

As a “Mad Men” fanatic, I have to ask, which do you miss more: writing the characters or writing the storylines?

I have to tell you, we stopped doing the show because I felt that we had exhausted the story. And I didn’t want to repeat. And not every show needs to do that. I watch lots of shows that repeat all the time and I’m fine with it, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to try and see if I could be that disciplined. And meanwhile, we had 92 hours of it.

What I really miss is working with everybody, you know? I can’t wait to do that again. I mean, this is an incredible experience, but I always say TV writing is for people who hate being alone more than they hate writing. [laughs] And to have that happen — to have an audience like that, have an experience like that — that’s what I miss.

Are there things that happen, where [I‘ll think of] Roger or Joan, where I see them fly by and experience, “Oh, I would use that”? That has happened. I’m not going to lie. But I’ve got to find somewhere else to tell it. So that’s kind of rough, where I’m just like, “Oh, that would have been a great story.”