Birney, Houdyshell, Pedi, More to Read On the Rocks for Nov. 16 Project Shaw

By Ernio Hernandez
November 6, 2009

Reed Birney, Jayne Houdyshell, Christine Pedi, Kelli Barrett and more will appear in the upcoming Project Shaw presentation of On the Rocks Nov. 16.

The Gingold Theatrical Group presentation of the George Bernard Shaw classic will play 7 PM at The Players Club. The series is in its fourth year of producing the entire George Bernard Shaw catalog. David Staller directs the Group's 44th presentation.

The 1933 comedy On the Rocks is billed by Gingold as "a heart-warming cocktail about money, greed, politics and sex," according to an announcement. "The British Prime Minister (Birney) and his wife (Houdyshell) are faced with rioting masses of unemployed right outside their window. A mysterious woman arrives (Pedi) to slap a little sense into the PM, while the ship of state appears to be inches away from crashing on the rocks. Decisions must be made...or must they?"

The cast features Ezra Barnes, Kelli Barrett, Reed Birney, Carole J. Bufford, Ian Gould, Jeffrey Hardy, Jayne Houdyshell, George S. Irving, Tim Jerome, William McCauley, Sal Mistretta, Christine Pedi, Rames Rana, Jeff Steitzer, Daine Stillwell Weinberg, Nick Wyman and Anatol Yusef. Theatre critic David Sheward will introduce the play.

Project Shaw concert readings will continue into its fifth year (starting Jan. 25, 2010), expanding into full productions. Among the actors who have appeared in the series thus far are Marian Seldes, Brian Murray, Cheyenne Jackson, Megan Mullally, Karen Ziemba, Blair Brown, John Cullum, Veanne Cox, Marc Kudisch, Rebecca Luker, Charlotte Rae, Fritz Weaver, Kate Mulgrew, Charles Busch, Gary Beach and Daphne Rubin-Vega.

Tickets to On the Rocks at The Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South (near 20th St.), are available by calling (212) 352-3101. For more information, visit ProjectShaw.com.