Halle Berry Joins Wright, Schreiber, Perez in Wolfe-Directed Lackawanna Blues for HBO

By Ernio Hernandez
19 Feb 2004

Halle Berry, Jeffrey Wright, Liev Schreiber and Rosie Perez will star in the HBO screen adaptation of Lackawanna Blues with the playwright-actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Outgoing Public Theatre director George C. Wolfe will direct the work which is based on the Obie Award-winning play which ran at the Public in 2001.

Santiago-Hudson and Berry also serve as executive producers for the film with Vincent Cirrincione and Shelby Stone.

Lackawanna Blues played Off-Broadway at The Public Theatre starring Tony Award winner Santiago-Hudson (Seven Guitars). Set in 1956 in Lackawanna, New York, the play centered on Miss Rachel's boarding house, a gathering spot for pseudo-philosophers, petty hustlers, lost souls and abandoned lovers.

The play, originally a one-man piece, saw the actor-playwright portraying over twenty characters with original music composed and performed by guitarist Bill Sims. He also toured with the work.

The film will reunite Wolfe with Public alum Wright (Topdog/Underdog, King Lear), Screiber (Othello, Hamlet) and Perez (References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot).