Compulsion, with Tony Winner Patinkin, Opens at Yale Rep Feb. 4

By Adam Hetrick
04 Feb 2010

Mandy Patinkin in Compulsion
Mandy Patinkin in Compulsion
Photo by Joan Marcus

Tony Award-winning actor Mandy Patinkin stars in Rinne Groff's drama Compulsion, based on the true-life struggle of Meyer Levin's battle to have his adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank" produced on stage. The play officially opens Feb. 4 at the Yale Repertory Theatre.

Public Theater artistic director Oskar Eustis helms the three-person drama that began previews Jan. 29 and will run through Feb. 28 in New Haven.

Following the Yale Rep engagement, Compulsion will bow at Berkeley Rep and transfer to the Public Theater Off-Broadway. Dates of the forthcoming regional engagements have not been announced.

Patinkin stars as Sid Silver in the play, with Hannah Cabell (A Man for All Seasons, Three Sisters) as Miss Mermin and Mrs. Silver; and Stephen Turner (All My Sons, The Evildoers) in the multiple roles of Mr. Thomas, Mr. Harris, Mr. Ferris, Mr. Matzliach and Mr. Williams.

Puppeteers for the production include Emily DeCola, Liam Hurley, and Eric Wright.

According to Yale Rep notes, "Sid Silver wants nothing more than to bring Anne Frank's story to an American audience, and he believes he's the right man to translate the young girl's diary and adapt it for the stage. But his passion spirals into a lifelong obsession when a New York publishing house reveals its own plans for what would become one of the most powerful and enduring documents of the 20th century."

Compulsion has set design by Eugene Lee, costume design by Lisa Loen, lighting design by Marie Yokoyama, sound design by Darron West, puppet design by Matt Acheson, dramaturgy by Amy Boratko, with vocal and dialect coaching by Thom Jones.

Patinkin earned a Tony Award for his performance as Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita and was nominated in 1984 for his starring role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George. His numerous stage appearances also include The Secret Garden, The Tempest, Falsettos, Leave It to Beaver is Dead, Hamlet, Trelawney of the 'Wells,' The Shadow Box, The Split and Savages. Among his screen credits are "Yentl," "The Princess Bride," "Dick Tracy," "Chicago Hope," "Criminal Minds" and "Dead Like Me."

Yale Rep tickets are available by visiting YaleRep, by calling (203) 432-1234 or by visiting the Yale Rep box office (1120 Chapel Street).