Arye Gross, who played Ellen DeGeneres' roommate Adam Green on "Ellen," takes over the reins at Los Angeles' Stages Theatre Company in Hollywood. He shares control of the group with founder Paul Verdier, who is artistic director.

As the photographer Adam, Gross was one of Ellen's failed romances before her character came out in a much ballyhooed move for the prime time sitcom. Gross' films include "Soul Man," "Hexed," "For the Boys" and "House 2 - The Second Story." He has performed often on Los Angeles' stages with his most recent Stages stint in Georges Feydeau's Sleep, I Want You to Sleep!.

Stages Theatre Company will stage French dramatist and poet Paul Claudel's 1933 play Book of Christopher Columbus in January 2001, kicking off their 20th anniversary season. Book of Christopher Columbus is a co-production with Continent II.

Formed in 1981 by Verdier and his wife Sonia, Stages recently presented the U.S. premiere of Rodolfo Santana's The Bullfight, Dominic Hoffman's Uncle Jacques' Symphony, Matei Viniex's Woman as Battlefield and MumSkulls, a variety show from the Mums.

Stages Theatre Company is located at 1540 North McCadden Play in Hollywood. Stages Theatre Company is on the web at http://www.stageshollywood.com. — By Christine Ehren