Transport Group to Welcome House for Sale Author Jonathan Franzen for Nov. 15 Talkback

By Adam Hetrick
14 Nov 2012

Daniel Fish
Daniel Fish
Photo by Carol Rosegg

"Freedom" author Jonathan Franzen will speak following the Transport Group's Nov. 15 performance of House for Sale, a new stage work adapted from his short story of the same title.

Transport Group artistic director Jack Cummings III will moderate the post-performance discussion with Franzen and adapter-director Daniel Fish. House for Sale will play a 7 PM performance Nov. 15 at the Duke on 42nd Street. A Q&A session will follow the discussion.

House for Sale officially opened Oct. 24 and is currently scheduled to play through Nov. 18. It has an original score by Polly Pen.

The cast features Rob Campbell (Translations, In the Blood), Merritt Janson (As You Like It, Paradise Lost), Lisa Joyce ("Boardwalk Empire," La Bete), Christina Rouner (Coram Boy, The Duchess of Malfi) and Michael Rudko (The Best Man, Titus Andronicus).

According to the Transport Group, "House for Sale follows Franzen as he travels to his childhood home in Missouri to sell the family house following his mother's death. Beset by memory and feeling a keen burden to sell the property for a price his exacting mother would accept, Franzen purges the home of personal artifacts, unearths hidden mini-treasures, and selects the realtor who will sell this reliquary of family memories. Exploring ideas of change, loss, and the value of the 'quintessential American Dream,' House for Sale is a daring exploration of the merging of art forms as well as an examination of the very essence of the human condition."

House for Sale has scenic design by Laura Jellinek, costume design by Therese Wadden, lighting design by Thomas Dunn, sound design by Daniel Kluger and video projections design by Andrew Lazarow. Katya Stanislavskaya is the musical director.

Franzen's works also include "Freedom," "The Corrections," "The Twenty-Seventh City," "Strong Motion," "How to Be Alone," "The Discomfort Zone" and "Farther Away."

Visit www.transportgroup.org or phone (646) 223-3010.