"Seinfeld" Star Michael Richards Plays Trumbo Off-Broadway, Dec. 29-Jan. 4

By Ernio Hernandez
December 29, 2003

Actor Michael Richards, known for his comic turns on screen in "Seinfeld," begins his stint in the title role of the Off-Broadway play, Trumbo, Dec. 29-Jan. 4, 2004.

Richards won an Emmy for his role of Cosmo Kramer on television's "Seinfeld." He has appeared on stage in Arsenic and Old Lace (West End), A Christmas Carol (San Diego Repertory), the Los Angeles premiere of Arthur Miller's The American Clock and Michael McClure's adaptation of Wild Oats at the Mark Taper Forum. He also appeared in Neil Simon's "London Suite" on NBC and in such films as "Unstrung Heroes," "Trial and Error," "UHF," "Transylvania, 6-5000."

Upcoming stars in the rotating Trumbo cast include Chris Cooper ("Adaptation," "American Beauty") and Charles Durning, scheduled to run Jan. 6-11 and Jan. 13-18, 2004, respectively. The show just announced an official closing of Jan. 18, 2004.

Christopher Trumbo, son of the work's focal character, culled the play 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.

Nathan Lane began in the Dalton Trumbo homage for this run at the Westside Theatre — where it ran earlier this year with a rotating cast of stars. The new Off-Broadway engagement began Aug. 26 and opened Sept. 4.

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."

For tickets to the new run of Trumbo, at the Westside Theatre, 407 W. 43rd St., call (212) 239-6200 or click here.