Al Pacino is currently rehearsing the role of Oedipus in Sophocles classic tragedy, at the Actors Studio in New York, reported Variety. "We're looking in a couple of months for an Off-Broadway venue downtown," said Estelle Parsons, artistic director of the Studio. "We hope for it to be a commercial run. But we're not quite sure when these [actors] will have the time to do it." Parsons added that the show may end up as just a special evening at the Actors Studio.

Co-starring with Pacino in the rehearsals are Earle Hyman as Tiresias, Ruby Dee as the second messenger and B.D. Wong as the chorus. Mary Beth Hurt and Dianne Wiest have been alternating as Jocasta, and Creon has been played by both Edward Herrmann and David Strathairn. Parsons will direct.

Pacino was last seen on the New York stage in O'Neill's Hughie at Circle in the Square. The actor won a Tony for his work in The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. In films, he can currently be seen in "The Insider" and "Any Given Sunday."

--By Robert Simonson