By Ernio Hernandez
16 Jul 2003

Dalton Trumbo, in his favorite writing place.
photo by Mitzi Trumbo

Christopher Trumbo's new play, Trumbo — an homage to his screenwriting father Dalton Trumbo — will return to the New York stage for an open-ended, Tuesdays-to-Sundays run to begin Aug. 26 with Nathan Lane in the title role.

The work — now subtitled Red, White and Blacklisted — will once again play at Off-Broadway's Westside Theatre, officially opening Sept. 4.

Gordon MacDonald, who played the show's other role of Narrator/Christopher during the previous run, will star opposite Lane. Lane plays to Sept. 21. Other stars are expected to join the play for limited engagements, sparking interest in the piece, as is the history of the show.

Culled from the letters of the legendary blacklisted screenwriter, Trumbo tells the story of one of the "Hollywood Ten" who went before the House Un-American Activities Committee. After refusing to answer questions about his political affiliations, Trumbo was fired from MGM and imprisoned for a year.

Peter Askin (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Sexaholix... a love story) directs the work presented by Claudia Catania and the Westside Theatre with the help of People For the American Way.

Lane (The Producers) was among the rotating cast of actors who played the title role in the prior engagement — which only played Monday evenings (March 31-June 16). Actors Ed Harris, Chris Cooper, Alec Baldwin, Eddie Izzard, Tim Robbins, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Bill Irwin and Aidan Quinn were also featured. Paul Giamatti, Michael Silver and MacDonald alternately played the show's other role.

The play's focus, Trumbo, wrote such screenplays as "The Brave One," "Exodus," "Spartacus," "Roman Holiday," and "Papillon" as well as the novel "Johnny Got His Gun."

The new run of Trumbo, at the Westside Theatre, 407 W. 43rd St., will play a full schedule: Tuesday-Saturdays at 8 PM, Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2:30 PM, Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets ($65) can be purchased by calling (212) 239-6200.