Martha Plimpton Joins Platt and O'Byrne for Broadway's Shining City

By Kenneth Jones
18 Jan 2006

Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton
Photo by Aubrey Reuben

Martha Plimpton will appear in Broadway's upcoming Shining City, Manhattan Theatre Club announced Jan. 18.

Plimpton will join Brķan F. O'Byrne and Oliver Platt in the cast of Conor McPherson's play at the Biltmore Theatre on West 47th Street. Previews begin April 13 for a May 3 opening night. A fourth cast member will be announced.

The production will be directed by Tony Award winner Robert Falls (Long Day's Journey Into Night, Death of a Salesman).

Originally produced at London's Royal Court Theater, Shining City is set in Dublin, "where a guilt-ridden man (Platt) reaches out to a therapist (O'Byrne) after seeing the ghost of his recently deceased wife," according to MTC. "Wrestling with his own demons, the therapist can only do so much to help. Routine visits between the two men quickly become a gripping struggle to survive, changing both of them for the rest of their lives."

Plimpton will play Neasa, a woman "who finds herself caught in the middle of Ian's (O'Byrne) personal turmoil."



Plimpton made her Broadway debut in 2004 with 16 Wounded at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Off-Broadway credits include The False Servant (Classic Stage Co.), Flesh & Blood (NYTW), Boston Marriage, Pericles (The Public Theater), Hobson's Choice (Atlantic, 2001 Obie Award), subUrbia (LCT).

O'Byrne won the Tony Award for Frozen and was nominated for Doubt. Platt appears in the current feature film, "Casanova," and has a recurring role on "The West Wing."

For more information, visit www.manhattantheatreclub.com.