Though a poster for Amazons in August has already gone up in NY's Shubert Alley, don't expect the new Ernest Thompson play to arrive on Broadway just yet. Producer Kathleen Raitt told Playbill On-Line (July 27) the project is currently in the throes of casting, and all decisions about the production -- from when it will come to Broadway to whether it will have an out-of-town tryout -- will stem from the casting choices.

"We need two `names' for this project," said Raitt. "Casting is essential, and we're working daily on it. Most likely, we won't have word on the performers until September." A June 5 report by Variety that Sally Field was "being courted" for a starring role was apparently premature. "She was never on board," Raitt said. "She hadn't even seen the script when that story came out, so we really don't want to start saying who we're talking to until the decisions are made."

One definite, though: Eugene Lee (Show Boat, On The Waterfront) will do the set design.

Asked to elaborate on the plot of Amazons in August, Raitt said the comedy/drama concerns two women who meet in New York. "One is an actress of a certain age, another is from the Midwest, here for medical treatment. They meet and go through hilarious and difficult times. We call it `a comedy of survival.'"

Playwright Thompson, who penned On Golden Pond, is also directing Amazons. -- By David Lefkowitz