James Cromwell stars in the American premiere of Tom Stoppard's The Invention Of Love at the Geary Theatre in San Francisco in January. Previews begin Jan. 6. The show opens Jan. 14 and is scheduled to run through Feb. 13. Carey Perloff will direct the American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.) production of the playwright's most recent work.

The story deals with the conflict between "passions of the mind and desires of the heart" in a dream play portrayal of the life of English classicist A. E. Housman. The story involves Housman's his unrequited love for his Oxford classmate Moses Jackson.

A.C.T. staged another American premiere of a Stoppard play, Indian Ink, last season. The playwright will be in residence at A.C.T. during rehearsals for The Invention of Love..

James Cromwell is familiar to audiences through his work in the film "L.A. Confidential," based on the novel by James Ellroy, as well as numerous stage roles in regional theatre productions of Hamlet, The Iceman Cometh, The Devil's Disciple, All's Well That Ends Well and Beckett, to name a few. His other films include “Babe” and the current “The Green Mile.”

Also featured in the cast are Jason Butler Harner, Marco Barricelli, Steven Anthony Jones, Ken Ruta, Garret Dillahunt, Gord Rand, Matthew Boston, Charles Dean, W. Francis Walters, Michael Santo, Lorri Holt and Brian Keith Russell. The production team for The Invention of Love includes set designer Loy Arcenas, costume designer Deborah Dryden, lighting designer James F. Ingalls, original music by Michael Roth and sound design by Garth Hemphill.

Tickets for the show are available through the Geary box office at 405 Geary Street, San Francisco. Call (415) 749-2228 or visit www.act-sfbay.org. Special discounts are available.