Interest in the new comedy has been so high that two weeks were added to the run before its first peformance began. ATC artistic director Neil Pepe directs the play, running at ATC's Chelsea neighborhood space to April 17. Opening is March 1.
Mamet founded the Manhattan company with actor William H. Macy 20 years ago. According to the company, "Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet returns to Atlantic with his new farce set in a modern day courtroom that explores issues ranging from our current judicial system to the Middle East conflict, fidelity and World peace."
The ensemble features Atlantic Theater Company members Larry Bryggman (Twelve Angry Men, two-time Tony Award nominee for Proof and Picnic), Steven Goldstein (Broadway's Our Town), Steven Hawley (Atlantic's Richard Cory) and guest artists Bob Balaban (produced and appeared in the Academy and Golden Globe Award winning film "Gosford Park"), Jim Frangione (Broadway's The Old Neighborhood), Keith Nobbs (Broadway's The Lion in Winter) and Christopher Evan Welch (Broadway's The Crucible).
Mamet's plays include Glengarry Glen Ross (Pulitzer Prize for Drama), The Cryptogram, The Water Engine, A Life in the Theatre, American Buffalo, Edmond, Lakeboat, Boston Marriage, Dr. Faustus, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, Speed-the-Plow, The Old Neighborhood, Oleanna and more.
As a filmmaker, "Spartan" marked Mamet's ninth film as writer-director. His critically acclaimed debut feature "House of Games," was selected to close the New York Film Festival in 1987. He followed this with "Things Change," co-written with Shel Silverstein; "Homicide"; "Oleanna" (the sole film he has adapted and directed from one of his plays); "The Spanish Prisoner"; "The Winslow Boy," an adaptation of the famed Terrence Rattigan play; and "State and Main," starring William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rebecca Pidgeon. Designers are Robert Brill (scenic), James S. Ingalls (lighting), Sarah Edwards (costume) and Obadiah Eaves (sound).
Atlantic Theater Company is based at 336 W. 20th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues). Romance plays Tuesday through Friday at 8 PM, Saturday at 2 & 8 PM and Sundays at 3 & 7:30 PM.
Tickets are $55 and available by calling Tele-Charge at (212) 239-6200 or visiting Atlantic’s website at www.atlantictheater.org.
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Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, artistic director; Andrew D. Hamingson, managing director) is the award winning Off-Broadway theater dedicated to producing great plays simply and truthfully utilizing an artistic ensemble. Atlantic believes that the story of the play and the intent of the playwright are at the core of the creative process. Since itss inception in 1985, Atlantic has produced more than 90 plays including the Tony Award winning production of The Beauty Queen Of Leenane, the world premieres of Woody Allen's A Second Hand Memory and Writer's Block, the American premieres of Blue/Orange, Dublin Carol and The Night Heron, the New York premiere of The Cider House Rules, the revivals of American Buffalo and Edmond, Mojo, Minutes From The Blue Route and Hobson's Choice. Atlantic maintains an ensemble of acclaimed actors, writers and directors including co-founders David Mamet (playwright and director) and William H. Macy (Academy Award nominee for "Fargo") among others.
