Stewart has appeared on the Broadway stage in productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest and his own solo take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The veteran thespian — known for his sci-fi turns in television's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and the "X-Men" films — more recently appeared in The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, Shakespeare Theatre's race-reversed production of Othello and the West End run of the Ibsen drama The Master Builder.

The Roundabout Theatre Company staging, directed by David Jones, stars MacLachlan and Patrick Stewart with Aiden Gillen. The drama began previews at the American Airlines Theatre Oct. 24 towards a Nov. 9 opening. The limited engagement is slated through Jan. 4, 2004.

The work, which explores the changing relationship between two brothers when a vagabond enters their lives, was originally staged on Broadway in 1961 at the Lyceum Theatre starring Alan Bates.

Tickets to The Caretaker at Roundabout's AA Theatre, 227 West 42nd Street are available by calling (212) 719-1300 or online at www.roundabouttheatre.org.