The Los Angeles company, which records live performances of plays usually featuring big-name celebrities for future broadcasts, is now entering its 16th year.
The upcoming seven-play season will include David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow (March 12-16), Lee Blessing's Going to St. Ives (March 26-30), Stephen Belber's Tape (April 9-13), Moss Hart and George Kaufman's Once in a Lifetime (April 30-May 4); William Finn and James Lapine's Falsettos (May 28-June 1), Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under the Elms (June 18-22) and Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code (July 9-13).
The original New York cast of Belber's Tape, from the Naked Angels production, will also be reprising their roles for the L.A. Theatre Works engagement. Nataki Garrett will direct originators Dominic Fumusa, Josh Stamberg and Alison West in the five performances. The play, which was later adapted into the film featuring Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard and Uma Thurman, was penned by the associate writer of Tectonic Theatre Company's The Laramie Project.
The 1992 Broadway production of Falsettos comprised the Off-Broadway shows March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland. The musical features the Tony Award-winning score by William Finn and the Tony Award-winning book by Finn and James Lapine — who directed the work at the John Golden Theatre. Rupert garnered a Tony nom for his portrayal of the wedded father, Marvin, who falls in love with a man. Zien also starred in a cast that included Stephen Bogardus, Carolee Carmello, Jonathan Kaplan, Andrew Harrison Leeds, Heather MacRae and Barbara Walsh.
L.A.T.W.’s "The Play's The Thing" series is performed live at the Skirball Cultural Center. All performances are recorded for future broadcast on KPCC 89.3 FM, Southern California Public Radio. The two-hour radio broadcasts include special backstage features and interviews with actors, playwrights, and directors. "The Play’s The Thing" also airs on Seattle's KUOW 94.9 FM, Berkeley's KPFA 94.7 FM and nationally over NPR stations and XM Satellite radio. For tickets to any of "The Play's The Thing" series productions at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, in L.A., CA, call L.A. Theatre Works' Box Office at (310) 827-0889. For more information, visit www.latw.org.
