The Jon Robin Baitz-Terrence McNally collaboration House, which begins a highly anticipated run at Sag Harbor's Bay Street Theatre Aug. 12, will most likely make the trip to New York sometime next season.
George Lane, Baitz's agent, said that many of Broadway and Off Broadway's prominent producers had been invited to the Long Island production, which runs only through Sept. 12 with--according to Bay Street--no chance of extension. An item in The Daily News observed that the production would probably go to Lincoln Center. Lane speculated that that supposition was drawn from the fact that many Baitz plays have been produced there, including A Fair Country and The Substance of Fire.
The Daily News also reported (Aug. 12) that Livent's Garth Drabinsky had shown some interest in the play, pledging $20,000 towards its development at Bay Street. The money didn't come through, and now that Drabinksy's been suspended at Livent pending KPMG/Peat Marwick's investigation of the company's finances, other producers are apparently scrutinizing House's New York potential.
Other plays which have traveled to Manhattan after productions at Bay Street include Baitz's Three Hotels, which played Circle Rep, and the Lanford Wilson-Joe Pintauro-Terrence McNally collaboration By the Sea... , which ran at Manhattan Theatre Club.
The Bay Street Theatre's production features an impressive cast, including Daniel Stern, Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Debra Monk and Rue McClanahan. The play evens boasts a stellar design team, head by set designer Tony Walton, father of Bay Street Co-Artistic Director Emma Walton. Tony has created sets for several other Bay Street productions, including Noel & Gertie and Men's Lives.
Forming the rest of the design crew are costume designer Jess Goldstein (Three Hotels); lighting designer Brain MacDevitt (Side Show); and sound designer Randall Freed (By the Sea...).
The play concerns a couple buying a house from another couple. Act one, by Baitz, follows the sellers; act two, by McNally, the buyers. Monk and Stern will play half the buying couple; Dreyfuss and Mason will portray the selling couple. Joe Mantello, who directed McNally's Love! Valour! Compassion! and Baitz's Three Hotels, will direct.
Stern is best known for his movie roles, including Home Alone, Diner, and D.O.A.. He also provided Fred Savage's adult voice- over on the television series "The Wonder Years."
Mason was recently seen Off-Broadway as a condemned murderer reliving the events leading to her day of execution in the Blue Light Theatre Company's production of Michael Cristopher's Amazing Grace. Her other stage credits include the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of The Night of the Iguana.
Tony-winner Monk (for Redwood Curtain) was seen on Broadway last season in Lincoln Center's staging of O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness!. Other recent stage credits include the Kander and Ebb musical Steel Pier.
Rue McClanahan, best known as one of television's "Golden Girls," replaced Eileen Heckart, who was originally cast as the broker.
Bay Street rep Eliza Rand told Playbill On-Line that Heckart fell and broke her hip early on in rehearsals. Within days, McClanahan had stepped into her role as a real estate broker.
For tickets and information on Bay Street events call (516) 725-9500.
