Alley artistic director Gregory Boyd — who worked with Tomei on the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of Noel Coward's Design for Living — will bring the star to his Texas stage, starting Feb. 24, 2006 for a run through March 19.

"I've always wanted to play this role in Born Yesterday and had such a great experience working with Greg in the past, that it's the perfect match," said Tomei. Boyd concurred, "Marisa Tomei is one of the American theatre's finest actors, and I’m thrilled to be working with her again — and on this wonderful play."

In Born Yesterday, a corrupt business tycoon hires a tutor to educate his dim witted girlfriend Billie on high society ways. Before long, the tutor and his Pygmalion-like protege fall for each other.

Tomei, known for her Oscar-winning turn in "My Cousin Vinny," appeared most recently on Broadway in Salome: The Reading. The Naked Angels Theater Company member has also frequented the stage in Tony Kushner's Slavs! (NYTW), Waiting For Lefty(CSC), What the Butler Saw (MTC), Demonology (Playwrights Horizons) and Broadway's Wait Until Dark. Her film work includes "In the Bedroom," "Chaplin," "Slums of Beverly Hills," "Unhook the Stars," "Only You," "Anger Management" and "The Perez Family."

The new Alley Theatre season will kick off with Tom Stoppard's Hapgood (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) and continue with Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook in the Ken Ludwig world premiere comedy, Be My Baby (Sept. 30-Oct. 23) and A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas (Nov. 22-Dec. 28). The new year brings Culture Clash in AmeriCCa (Jan. 6-29, 2006), Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday (Feb. 24-March 19, 2006), Austin Pendleton's Orson's Shadow (March 31-April 30, 2006), Theatre de la Jeune Lune's production of The Miser (April 7-30, 2006) and Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution (May 12-June 4, 2006). Tickets and season subscriptions can be purchased at the Alley Theatre Box Office, 615 Texas Ave. in Houston, TX, by phone at (713) 228-8421 or on the web at www.alleytheatre.org .