Sean Mathias (Indiscretions, The Elephant Man) will direct the Anton Chekhov classic drama which begins Feb. 2, 2006 at the Center Theatre Group's Mark Taper Forum for a run through March 29.

Paulson recently played Off-Broadway in Colder Than Here and opposite Jessica Lange in the Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie. The actress, who enjoyed a recurring role on HBO's "Deadwood," has also been seen Off Broadway in Killer Joe and Horton Foote's Talking Pictures. Other credits include the films "Down With Love," "Serenity," "What Women Want," "The Other Sister," and television's "Leap of Faith" "Path to War," "Jack & Jill" and "American Gothic."

Harner was seen Off-Broadway in the recent stagings of The Ruby Sunrise, The Paris Letter and the Ivo van Hove-directed New York Theatre Workshop revival of Hedda Gabler. Other New York credits include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, Mr. Fox: A Rumination, Crimes of the Heart, Juno and the Paycock, An Experiment with an Air Pump, Henry VIII and Macbeth.

Paulson will play Varya with Harner as Trofimov opposite Bening who takes on the role of Madame Ranyevskaya, a woman attempting to escape her woes in Paris at her Russian country estate only to discover trouble awaits her there. Molina will perform as Lopakhin for the Los Angeles revival.

Bening has graced the Los Angeles boards in runs of Hedda Gabler and Alan Bennett's Talking Heads. She is perhaps best known for her film work which includes "American Beauty," "The American President," "Regarding Henry," "What Planet Are You From?" and the recent "Being Julia." Molina appeared as the villain Dr. Ock in the film "Spider-Man 2" and in Ron Howard's upcoming film "The Da Vinci Code." The London-born actor made his Broadway debut in the 1998 Tony Award-winning play Art opposite Alan Alda and Victor Garber. He returned to Broadway in 2004 to tackle the role of Tevye in the new David Leveaux staging of Fiddler on the Roof.

The Taper currently plays home to Robert Schenkkan's Lewis and Clark Reach the Euphrates (through Jan. 22, 2006) before The Cherry Orchard. Next up will be Joshua Sobol's iWitness (March 30-May 21, 2006), Alfred Uhry's Without Walls (June 1-July 16, 2006) and Culture Clash's Water & Power (July 27 Sept. 17, 2006).

Tickets to The Cherry Orchard at the Taper, 135 North Grand Ave. in Los Angeles, CA can be purchased by calling (213) 628-2772 or on-line at www.TaperAhmanson.com.