The Cherry Orchard, starring Charles Durning (The Best Man), Tate Donovan (Amy's View, "Hercules") and Hector Elizondo ("Chicago Hope") finishes its L.A. Theatre Works radio-play run April 29 at the Skirball Cultural Center. The classic Chekhov play about a family forced to sell off their beloved ancestoral lands to settle debts began performances April 25.
Joining Durning, Donovan and Elizondo in this world-premiere translation by Nicholas Saunders and Frank Dwyer are Marsha Mason ("The Goodbye Girl," "Chapter Two"), Michael Cristofer ("Body Shots," "Gia"), Jennifer Tilly ("Liar Liar," "Bound"), Jeffrey Jones ("Sleepy Hollow," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") and Amy Pietz ("Cursed," "Caroline in the City"). Rosalind Ayres will direct.
The rest of the Theatre Works season follows:
Shadowlands by William Nicholson: Martin Jarvis stars as C.S. Lewis in the Tony nominated play about the writer's romance with American poet Joy Davidman, May 16-20
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial by Herman Wouk: Stacy Keach, Grant Shaud, James Avery, Gregory Itzin, Kenny Williams and Chuma Hunter Gault star in this World War II courtroom drama about mutinous sailors who rise up against a captain they fear is insane, June 6-10
Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez: Marco Rodriguez, fresh from the Goodman Theatre's production of this dramatization of L.A.'s infamous Zoot Suit Riots of 1943, reprises his role as El Pachuco with Daniel Valdez, Alma Martinez, Maria Candelaria, Ruben Gonzales, Ana Huac Valdez, Kinan Valez, Lakin Valdez and Dan Lauria, July 11-15
True West by Sam Shepard: Anthony LaPaglia and Alfred Molina play warring brothers with Charlotte Rae as their mother in Shepard's classic Cain and Abel tale, July 24-29
A final production, not yet announced, running June 24-28
All TheatreWorks theatre productions are recorded for future broadcast on Santa Monica College's KCRW 89.9FM and are sold on the L.A. Theatre Works homepage at http://www.latw.org. In the past 11 years, productions have won several awards including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Gold and Silver Awards, three Sony Awards, the Writer's Guild of America's Best Comedy Award and the 1999 Audie Award for Best Dramatic Production from the Audio Publishers Association. Their recording of The Prisoner of Second Avenue, featuring Richard Dreyfuss and Mason, was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Comedy Album. Tickets are $34-$38. Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. For reservations, call (310) 827-0889.
— By Christine Ehren
