Lisa Kron, Michelle Rodriguez and Jessica Walter form the present trio in Eve Ensler's long-running Off-Broadway hit, The Vagina Monologues. They will take their first bow on June 26. They continue their tenure through Aug. 5.
Kron, the woman behind 2.5 Minute Ride, which played the Public Theater a couple seasons back, recently workshopped her latest autobiographical work, Well, at CT's Long Wharf Theatre. Walters is a longtime veteran or many plays, movies and television shows. She acted on Broadway in Peter Ustinov's Photo Finish (Clarence Derwent Award), A Severed Head, Advise and Consent, Night Life and Neil Simon's Rumors. Rodriguez garnered a lot of attention last year for the film "Girlfight" and currently stars in "The Fast and the Furious."
The six-week casting gig is relatively new to the long-running play. When author and original star Eve Ensler left the show in early 2000, each new trio spent a mere two weeks at the Westside Theatre. By the fall, the length of each stay had stretched to three weeks. Now, with the turn of the year 2001, it has doubled to six weeks.
A complete list of actresses who have appeared in the New York production follows:
Feb. 8-20: Julie Kavner, Swoosie Kurtz and Audra McDonald
Feb. 22-March 5: Mary Alice, Amy Irving and Rosie Perez
March 7-19: Rita Moreno, Cynthia Nixon and Marlo Thomas
March 21-April 2: Shirley Knight, Andrea Martin and Alanis Morissette
April 4-16: Viola Davis, Gina Gershon and Annie Potts
April 18-30: Claire Danes, Jenifer Lewis and Mary McDonnell
May 2-14: Mo Gaffney, Marsha Mason and Lynn Whitfield
May 16-28: Diahann Carroll, Judith Ivey and Marisa Tomei
May 30-June 11: Joy Behar, Hazelle Goodman and Holland Taylor
June 13-15: Linda Ellerbee, Calista Flockhart and Lisa Gay Hamilton
June 27-July 9: Melissa Joan Hart, Carol Kane and Phylicia Rashad
July 11-23: Teri Hatcher, Ricki Lake and Regina Taylor
July 25-Aug. 6: Gloria Reuben, Julia Stiles and Mary Testa
Aug. 8-20: Brett Butler, Kellie Martin and Tonya Pinkins
Aug. 22-Sept. 3: Teri Garr, Julianna Margulies and Sanaa Lathan
Sept. 5-24: Brooke Shields, Mercedes Ruehl and Ana Gasteyer
Sept. 26-Oct. 15: Kathleen Chalfant, Nell Carter and Annabella Sciorra
Oct. 17-Nov. 5: Donna Hanover, Robin Givens, Susie Essman
Nov. 7-Nov. 26: Erica Jong, Angelica Torn, Lauren Velez.
Nov. 28-Dec. 17: Lolita Davidovich, Sarah Jones and Ann Magnuson
Dec. 19-Jan. 7, 2001: Carolee Carmello, Roma Maffia and Rue McClanahan
Jan 9-Feb. 18: Julie Halston, Lisa Leguillou and Lois Smith
Feb. 20-April 1: Becky Ann Baker, Cynthia Garrett and Ruthie Henshall
April 3-May 13: Kim Coles, Judy Gold and Patricia Kalember
May 14-June 24: Katherine Helmond, Joie Lee and Hayley Mills *
Joe Mantello, who staged Love! Valour! Compassion! on Broadway, is the director of the show.
$10 of each $55 ticket sold to The Vagina Monologues goes to the V Day Initiative.
For information on the Westside engagement, call (212) 239-6200.
— By Robert Simonson
