Rosalind Ayres stages the U.S premiere of Peter Oswald's new take (a "Broadway- bound translation" as it is billed) at the Skirball Cultural Center Dec. 13-17 in the company's "The Play's The Thing" radio theatre series. Shows are performed live and recorded for future broadcast.
Kingston (who recently played Nurse Ratched in a London run One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Christian Slater) stars as the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots, in a 14-member ensemble that includes Jill Gascoine (as Elizabeth I), Simon Templeman (Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester), Martin Jarvis (William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, Lord High Treasurer), Christopher Neame (William Davison, Secretary of State), W. Morgan Sheppard (George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury), Kenneth Danziger (Sir Amias Paulet, guardian of Mary), Sheelagh Cullen (Hanna Kennedy) and Matt Gaydos, Graham Hamilton and Alan Shearman in multiple roles.
Set in 16th century England, Mary Stuart follows the tale of Elizabeth I who "is threatened by the survival of her Catholic cousin, Mary, who has been a prisoner for 19 years. Wrestling with her own conscience — and Mary's popularity — the Queen agonizes over the fate of her cousin amid fears for her own survival."
Oswald's new version first played London's Donmar Warehouse in 2005 before transferring to the West End’s Apollo.
The 2006-07 "Voices from the Edge" season lineup will continue with Two Cities, Two Voices — a double bill of Roger Guenveur Smith's The Watts Towers Project and Adriana Sevan's Taking Flight (Jan. 17-21, 2007); Charles Busch's The Tale of the Allergist's Wife starring Marsha Mason, Tony Roberts and Jobeth Williams (Feb. 7-11, 2007); Rinne Groff's The Ruby Sunrise starring Lili Taylor, Adam Arkin and Harriet Sansom Harris (March 14-18, 2007); Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All The Luck with Kurtwood Smith (April 11-15, 2007); Keith Bunin's The Busy World is Hushed starring Jill Clayburgh and members from the original Off-Broadway cast (May 16-20, 2007); Melinda Lopez's Sonia Flew with Hector Elizondo and Phillip Casnoff (June 13-17, 2007); and one last presentation, scheduled for a July 11-15 run, yet to be announced. LATW's nationally syndicated radio show "The Play's The Thing" series can be heard in cities across the country including Boston, Seattle, Albuquerque as well as on XM Satellite radio. The two-hour radio broadcasts include special backstage features and interviews with actors, playwrights and directors. The L.A. Theatre Works Audio Theatre Collection is available in bookstores, libraries, through their catalog or digitally on audible.com, the L.A. Theatre Works website and iTunes.
For tickets to any of "The Play's The Thing" series productions at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, call the L.A. Theatre Works' Box Office at (310) 827-0889. For more information, visit www.latw.org.
