No director has yet been announced for the West Coast premiere of the late Wasserstein's final play, which will run at the California stage Sept. 11-Oct. 28 with a Sept. 19 opening night.
Lahti will play a professor at a prestigious New England university who is convinced her third generation, jock student has plagiarized a brilliant paper. The work debuted at Lincoln Center Theater in 2005.
"Wendy Wasserstein is one of the most important voices for women of our generation. The last time we spoke I told her how powerful I felt Third was," said Lahti in the announcement. "I'm honored to have another opportunity to portray one of Wendy's complex heroines."
The actress is no stranger to the work of Wasserstein, having played the title role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Heidi Chronicles on Broadway as well as having starred in the Lifetime Channel's version of "An American Daughter."
Known for her Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning turns in "Chicago Hope" as well as her recent work on "Jack & Bobby" and "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," Lahti appeared in the films "...And Justice For All," "Running on Empty" and "Swing Shift" and earned an Academy Award for directing the live-action short "Lieberman in Love." Other stage credits include Broadway's Present Laughter, Scenes and Revelations, Division Street and Loose Ends and Off-Broadway's Three Hotels, Little Murders, Landscape of the Body, The Country Girl, The Woods and Hooters. She has also appeared in regional runs of Three Hotels, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Summer and Smoke, Love Letters, Moon for the Misbegotten and The Lucky Spot.
The only other work announced for the new season is the world premiere of The Best is Yet to Come, a musical conceived by Larry Gelbart and David Zippel featuring songs by the late Cy Coleman (Nov. 20-Jan. 6, 2008). Zippel will stage the work that will employ a stellar five-member cast and songs like "The Best Is Yet to Come," "Hey, Big Spender" and "The Oldest Profession." "An entire songbook comes to life as a collection of stories is told through song," explains show materials.
Subscriptions to the 2007-2008 season at Geffen, 10886 Le Conte Ave. in Los Angeles, CA, are available by calling (310) 209-1328. Single tickets go on sale July 1 and may be purchased at the Geffen box office, by phone at (310) 208-5454 or online at GeffenPlayhouse.com.
