Marcia Rodd will play the on-edge Grande Dame of fashion, Diana Vreeland, in the Actors Theatre of Louisville staging of Full Gallop, Dec. 30-Jan. 23, at ATL's Pamela Brown Auditorium.

William McNulty will direct the Louisville premiere of Mark Hampton and Mary Louise Wilson's snapshot of a 1971 Vreeland, who has just been ousted from her position as editor at Vogue. Previews begin Dec. 30 for an official opening New Year's Eve, Dec. 31.

Rodd appeared on Broadway in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers and I'm Not Rappaport and played dentist E.J. Riverside in TV's "Trapper John, M.D."

Designers are Tony Penn (lighting), Malcolm Nicholls (sound), Lindsay Davis (costumes) and Elmon Webb (set).

Rodd joins a growing list of actresses who have played the opinionated, bigger-than-life, rouge-smudged Vreeland, who once said, "We allow a splash of bad taste; no taste is what I'm against." Among fellow Dianas are Wilson, who originated the role Off-Broadway, and Brenda Vaccaro, Tovah Feldshuh and Barbara Dirickson, who played it regionally. Louisville favorite Adale O'Brien provides the voice of Vreeland's curt, unseen maid, Yvonne.

ATL tickets are $10-$28. The Tony Award-winning ATL is located at 316 W. Main St. Call (502) 584-1205 or (800) 4-ATL-TIX.

-- By Kenneth Jones