Maria Callas was an intimidating woman, but actress Charlotte Cornwell is not intimidated by portraying the opera diva in Terrence McNally's 1996 Tony Award-winning bioplay, Master Class, running Aug. 30-Sept. 24 at Palo Alto's TheatreWorks. Cornwell already played the fiery woman who uses her students' master classes to tell her own story in the show's national tour.

A Royal Shakespeare Company veteran (Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It), Cornwell performed Queen Elizabeth opposite Ian McKellen's Richard in the Royal National Theatre's Richard III. West End credits include Vanilla, A View From the Bridge and Separate Tables.

Joining her will be Kent Smith, Nikki Maack, John Capes, Marla Kavanaugh and Michael Hendricks. Directing them will be Thomas Caruso, who helmed the Master Class national tour and assistant directed the Broadway productions of Love! Valour! Compassion! and the 10th anniversary production of Les Miserables.

The design team is Mark Guirguis (sets), Julie Engelbrecht (costumes) and Steven B. Mannshardt (lighting).

Tickets are $38-$20. The Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts is located on the corner of Castro and Mercy Streets in Mountain View. For tickets, call (650) 903-6000. TheatreWorks is on the web at http://www.theatreworks.org. -- By Christine Ehren