The New York Times reports that the revival of Mamet's Hollywood satire will open at a Broadway theatre to be announced Oct. 23. Piven will play the role of film producer Bobby Gould; no other casting has been announced.
Atlantic Theater Company artistic director Neil Pepe will helm the production. Producers are Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler.
"Speed-the-Plow focuses on two high-powered Hollywood executives, Charlie Fox and Bobby Gould, who have come up from the mailroom together," according to press notes. "Charlie brings Bobbie a surefire hit with a major star attached. Bobby seems certain to give the green light, until his beautiful new secretary gets involved."
Speed-the-Plow was first produced on Broadway in 1988 featuring Madonna, Joe Mantegna and Ron Silver. A London revival at the Old Vic currently stars Kevin Spacey, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Michelle Kelley.
Born in Manhattan and raised in Illinois, Jeremy Piven is an alumnus of the Piven Theatre Workshop, which was founded by his parents. Piven did much stage work in Chicago before heading to Hollywood. His many screen credits include "Lucas," "One Crazy Summer," "Carol & Company," "White Palace," "The Player," "Bob Roberts," Singles," "The Larry Sanders Show," "Twenty Bucks," "Floundering," "Miami Rhapsody," "Dr. Jekyll & Ms. Hyde," "Heat," "Ellen," "Grosse Point Blank," "Kiss the Girls," "Very Bad Things," "The Crew," "The Family Man," "Old School" and "Runaway Jury." Piven was seen Off-Broadway in Neil LaBute's Fat Pig. He is the recipient of two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his work on HBO's "Entourage." A founder of the Atlantic Theater Company, David Mamet's principal works include The Duck Variations, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, American Buffalo, Glengarry Glen Ross (Pulitzer Prize), Boston Marriage, Edmond, Oleanna, Speed-the-Plow and The Cryptogram (Obie Award). He recently adapted The Voysey Inheritance for the Atlantic and is currently represented on Broadway with the acclaimed political comedy November.
Next season will also see a revival of Mamet's American Buffalo starring John Leguizamo and directed by Robert Falls.
