Shepard, who stars opposite Dallas Roberts — the actor just cast as Tom in the upcoming Broadway production of The Glass Menagerie — will depart the cloning drama Jan. 16, 2005, according to The New York Times. Howard will begin performances Jan. 18.

Arliss Howard has been seen on stage in The Late Henry Moss, Killer's Head, The Monogamist, Life and Limb, Geography of Luck, A Lie of the Mind, Fool for Love, How I Learned to Drive, In the Jungle of Cities and Ivanov. His many screen credits include "Full Metal Jacket," "Men Don't Leave," "Wilder Napalm," "Map of the World" and "Big Bad Love"; he also co wrote and directed the latter.

James MacDonald directs the staging of the new 70-minute Churchill play, which began previews Nov. 16 at the NYTW's East Village venue for a run originally slated through Jan. 16, 2005.

In A Number, a son discovers that he is one of a number of clones produced by his father. Michael Gambon played the patriarch opposite Daniel Craig as three of a score of his multiple sons in the world premiere of the work at London's Royal Court Theatre.

The design team for A Number includes Eugene Lee (scenic), Gabriel Berry (costume), Edward Pierce (lighting) and Darron L. West (sound). Martha Donaldson serves as production stage manager. Tickets to A Number at New York Theatre Workshop, 79 East 4th Street (between Second Ave. and Bowery) are available by calling (212) 239 6200. For more information, visit www.nytw.org.