What is up with The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? On May 7 and 14, patrons can ask the playwright himself. Edward Albee will take questions on his latest comic drama, alongside cast members Bill Pullman, Mercedes Ruehl, Stephen Rowe and Jeffrey Carlson, after the two Tuesday night performances.
Newsday critic Linda Winer will moderate the May 21 discussion, which won't feature Albee, but will include the players. Tuesday talk backs at The Goat began April 9. On May 6, the play earned a Best Play Tony Award nomination and Ruehl was nommed for Best Actress in a Play.
The world premiere comic drama stars Pullman and Ruehl, under David Esbjornson's direction. Esbjornson found success with Albee's The Play About the Baby Off-Broadway, as well as Albee's Who's Afraid of Virigina Woolf? at the Guthrie Theatre.
Ruehl won a Tony Award for Lost in Yonkers and an Academy Award for "The Fisher King." Last season, she starred as Martha opposite Patrick Stewart in Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf/ at the Guthrie Theatre. Other theatre credits include The Rose Tattoo and Other People's Money. Known for roles in "While You Were Sleeping," "Lost Highway" and "Independence Day," Pullman played Off Broadway in Curse of the Starving Class and Life and Limb. He appeared in Los Angeles in All My Sons.
Ruehl plays Pullman's wife, Stevie, billed in casting notices as "a woman of intellect and passion...capable of wit, rage, compassion and great power." Pullman plays Martin, an architect, who may be sleeping with something or someone not human (think of the title). Jeffrey Carlson (Romeo in the McCarter Theatre's Romeo and Juliet) is their son, Billy. Martin's best friend, the host of a Charlie Rose-type interview program, is played by Stephen Rowe (Some Americans Abroad, Second Stage's Tiny Alice).
Elizabeth Ireland McCann, Daryl Roth, Terry Allen Kramer, Scott Rudin, Fred Zollo, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Scott Rudin and Fred Zollo produce The Goat. Designers are John Arnone (set), Kenneth Posner (lighting), Elizabeth Hope Clancy (costumes) and Mark Bennett (sound). Previews began Feb. 16.
The playwright, best known for his landmark Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, recently enjoyed a well-received revival of his Tiny Alice at Off-Broadway's Second Stage. The remounting of the drama — which was reviled in its 1963 premiere — was embraced by many critics and, as a result, extended its run.
Albee's other past plays include the trio of Pulitzer Prize winning works, A Delicate Balance, Seascape and Three Tall Women, as well as the short works The Zoo Story and The American Dream.
Tickets are $65-$75. For reservations, call (212) 239-6200. The Goat plays at the Golden Theatre, where it opened March 10.
