TheatreWorks, Los Angeles' star-studded radio revival series, announced its 25th anniversary season of plays, which will include Hay Fever, Agnes of God, The Rose Tattoo and A Huey P. Newton Story. Featured stars appearing in the productions are Eric Stolz, Mercedes Ruehl, Shirley Knight, Anthony LaPaglia, Alley Mills, Orson Bean, Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Joyce Van Patten, Elaine Stritch and Bruce Davidson.
Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Noel Coward's birth, Theatre Works presents Coward's comedy Hay Fever Oct. 6-10. Eric Stoltz will star in the Michael Mayer (You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) directed piece.
Agnes of God, the popular John Pielmeier (Voices in the Dark) drama about a young nun whose murdered newborn is found in a wastebasket, runs Oct. 27-31. Shirley Knight will star as the abbey's Mother Superior who pits herself against a court-ordered psychiatrist as they decide the young woman's fate.
Marilyn Fox will direct Orson Bean ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman") and Alley Mills ("The Wonder Years") in the Pacific Resident Theatre's revival of J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World, Nov. 10-14.
Oscar and Tony winner Mercedes Ruehl ("The Fisher King") and Tony winner Anthony LaPaglia (A View From the Bridge) will recreate their roles from the 1995 revival of Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo. The story of a Sicilian widow who finds love again in the arms of a truck driver, Tattoo will be directed by JoBeth William and run from Dec. 8-12. Joining the reprising will be Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason, recreating their performances in Neil Simon's The Prisoner of Second Avenue from the recent West End production in London, running Jan. 19-23, 2000. Also starring in this comedy of a long-married couple trapped in a high rise are Caroline Aaron and Joyce Van Patten.
Returning to the role she originally played at the American Repertory Theatre, Elaine Stritch will star in Peter Feibleman's Cakewalk with Oscar nominee Bruce Davidson ("Longtime Companion") Feb. 2-6. Rosalind Ayres directs.
The final play of the season will be Roger Guenveur Smith's A Huey P. Newton Story, Feb. 16-20. The winner of an Obie Award, three N.A.A.C.P Awards and an L.A. Weekly Award for Best Solo Performance, Newton follows the rise and fall of the Black Panther leader, as adapted from his own words.
Tickets are $35-$31 and available by calling the TheatreWorks box office at (310) 827-0889. Performances run at the Skirball Center at 2701 N. Sepulveda Boulevard.
All "The Play's the Thing" theatre productions are recorded for future broadcast on Santa Monica College's KCRW 89.9FM. Productions have won several awards including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's Gold and Silver Awards, three Sony Awards, the Writer's Guild of America's Best Comedy Award and the 1999 Audie Award for Best Dramatic Production from the Audio Publishers Association.
-- By Christine Ehren
