The London cast of Neil LaBute's latest play, The Shape of Things, including Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz, Gretchen Mol and Frederick Weller, will play the New York debut of the drama, directed by the author, beginning Sept. 20 at Off Broadway's Promenade Theatre.
The Shape of Things opened at London's Almeida Theatre May 30 (previews from May 24) and ran to June 23 with the foursome. Performances resumed for two weeks in the summer, to Aug. 4. The Off Broadway opening is Oct. 10.
The producing team for the U.S. run is Susan Quint Gallin, Sandy Gallin, Ben Sprecher, Stuart Thompson and USA/Ostar Theatricals.
In the darkly humorous Shape, Weisz plays an art student who befriends a museum guard. The play is said to peel back the skin of two modern relationships. It asks the questions: How far would you go for love? How far for art? What would you be willing to change? Which price might you pay?
* Rudd appeared in the Off-Broadway's production of LaBute's bash a couple seasons ago. His other New York stage appearances include Twelfth Night at Lincoln Center Theater and The Last Night of Ballyhoo on Broadway. On film, he has been seen in "The Object of My Affection," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Clueless."
Mol's film work includes "Forever Mine," Woody Allen's "Celebrity" and "Sweet and Lowdown," and "Rounders," though she is perhaps most notorious for gracing a 1998 cover of Vanity Fair well before anyone knew who she was (and then continuing to remain relatively obscure).
Weisz previously appeared in Noel Coward's Design for Living at the Donmar Warehouse and, in 1999, starred in Tennessee Williams' Suddenly Last Summer at the Comedy. Weisz is best known for her film roles, including the just released "Enemy at the Gates," "The Mummy," and "Stealing Beauty." This marks her U.S. stage debut.
Weller appeared on Broadway in The Little Foxes, Six Degrees of Separation and The Rehearsal, and in Drama Dept.'s The Country Club and South Coast Rep's Hurrah at Last.
Last year, The Almeida presented the British premiere of LaBute's bash, a collection of three one-act pieces. bash was a hit Off-Broadway, in a limited engagement staging that featured Calista Flockhart, Ron Eldard and Paul Rudd. It was later taped for TV broadcast. LaBute's previous plays include Filthy Talk for Troubled Times, Sanguinarians and Sycophants, Rounder and Ravages. His films include "In The Company of Men" (for which he received the New York Critics' Circle Best First Feature Award and the Filmmakers' Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival), "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "Nurse Betty." LaBute's adaptation of "Possession," based on AS Byatt's novel, will be released later this year.
Designers are Giles Cadle (set), Lynette Meyer (costumes), James Vermeulen and Fergus O'Hare (sound).
Tickets are $65. The Promenade is at 2162 Broadway between 75th and 76th Streets. For information, call (212) 239-6200, or visit theshapeofthings.com.
—By Robert Simonson
