Tony winner LaChanze, most recently on the New York stage in The Color Purple, Obie winner Nikkole Salter, Angela Lewis and Nana Mensah will be part of Inked Baby, a new play by Christina Anderson that will begin previews at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater March 5, 2009.
Directed by Kate Whoriskey, Inked Baby is described as such: "Stuck for money and unable to conceive, Gloria (LaChanze) enlists the aid of her sister to make the child that she and her husband can't. As they uneasily await the baby's arrival, a mysterious contamination spreads outside. But consumed by their own struggles, is anyone paying attention? In this imaginative, other-worldly new drama, one family fights to find its place in a neglected neighborhood." Opening night will be March 23, and the production will run through April 5.
Casting is now complete for Evan Smith's The Savannah Disputation, which will begin previews at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater Feb. 6, 2009. Obie Award winner Reed Birney and Kellie Overbey will join the previously announced Dana Ivey and Marylouise Burke.
Walter Bobbie will direct Disputation, which concerns "susceptible Catholic spinster Margaret (Marylouise Burke) [who] politely admits door-to-door Pentecostal missionary Melissa (Kellie Overbey) into her home, [and] her seemingly-solid faith starts to waver – much to the chagrin of her feisty sister Mary (Dana Ivey). But who's the blasphemer and who's the believer? Before long, the God-fearing sisters have ambushed their steadfast 'guest' with the aid of an unsuspecting local priest (Reed Birney), setting the scene for a showdown of truly biblical proportions." Opening night is set for March 3, and performances will run through March 15.
Casting is also now complete for Craig Lucas' Prayer for My Enemy, which will be directed by The Light in the Piazza's Bartlett Sher. Joining the previously announced Cassie Beck, Victoria Clark, Jonathan Groff, Michele Pawk and Skipp Sudduth will be Zachary Booth. Performances begin Nov. 14 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater. "A hell of a night for the Noones finds father Austin (Skipp Sudduth) watching his nature shows and trying to keep from falling off the wagon, mother Karen (Michele Pawk) keeping an eye on Austin, son Billy (Jonathan Groff) just back from Iraq, and pregnant daughter Marianne (Cassie Beck) upset about the state of her marriage to Tad (Zachary Booth), Billy's childhood friend who may still harbor a crush on him," according to Prayer for My Enemy press notes. "As an enigmatic outsider, Dolores (Victoria Clark), relates a tale of taking responsibility for her ailing mother, an American family's long-held secrets are dragged to the fore in what may be its final reckoning." Opening night will be Dec. 9, and performances will continue through Dec. 31.
Performances dates have also been announced for the final production of the Playwrights season, Theresa Rebeck's Our House. Directed by Michael Mayer, previews will begin May 15, 2009, at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater. Opening night is set for June 9, and the limited engagement will play through June 21.
"What happens when news and entertainment are interchangeable?," ask Our House press notes. "In a cautionary tale ripped from today's headlines, a power-hungry TV mogul faced with dwindling ratings installs America's favorite news anchor as host of a popular reality show. Meanwhile, in Middle America, a houseful of roommates bicker over high-stakes real-world conflicts: Merv doesn't clean the bathroom, someone ate Alice's yogurt, and the rent is long past due. When reality suddenly collides with reality TV, we find ourselves front and center in the thorniest hostage drama since Waco."
Complete casting for Our House and additional casting for Inked Baby will be announced at a later date.
Playwrights Horizons is located in Manhattan at 416 West 42nd Street. For ticket information visit www.playwrightshorizons.org or call (212) 279-4200.
