Bonnie Franklin, the onetime musical theatre gamin who sang "Applause" in the show of the same name and later went on to play one of Norman Lear's strong, opinionated women in TV's "One Day at a Time," will bite into the role of Martha in the Pittsburgh Public Theater's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Previews began Feb. 25 for an opening night Mar. 5, 1999. Performances continue to Mar. 28 at the Public Theater's 457-seat thrust space on Pittsburgh's north shore. Franklin, who played feminist divorcee Anne Romano in the hit TV series, will spar with Sam Tsoutsouvas (NYSF/Public Theater's Pericles) in the classic 1962 Edward Albee drama of marital performance, friction, delusion and meltdown. George and Martha's late-night cocktail guests, Nick and Honey, will be played by Karl Kenzler and Penny Balfour.

Ted Pappas, known for his regional musical theatre stagings, will direct Virginia Woolf. His previous work at Pittsburgh has included Wings, Fifty-Million Frenchmen, Sweeney Todd, Falsettos and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Franklin has worked throughout the country in regional theatre and stock, as well as on Broadway (Applause) and off (Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune).

Designers are Michael Schweikardt (sets), David Murin (costumes) and Dennis Parichy (lighting).

For information, call (412) 321-9800.

-- By Kenneth Jones