Broadway and film actor Ned Eisenberg, Tony Award winner Dick Latessa, Emmy nominee Richard Masur and others will join previously announced Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei to read the classic play "Golden Boy," written by Clifford Odets and directed by Joanne Woodward, on Monday, August 25, 7 p.m., at Westport Country Playhouse (Joanne Woodward and Anne Keefe, artistic directors, and Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, managing director). The reading is part of "The Classical Series," bringing together professional actors to read works by master playwrights. Tickets to the one-night-only event are $15.
In "Golden Boy," Joe Bonaparte dreams of becoming a world-famous violinist. When he is coerced into prize fighting by the lovely Lorna, he discovers that he can make easy money. As he wins match after match, he finds himself losing his musical aspirations and becoming consumed by fortune, fame and glorious violence.
Kieran Campion will play Joe Bonaparte. He appeared on Broadway in "Our Town," in Westport Country Playhouse's "Journey's End" and "
David Copperfield," and films including "The Good Shepherd."
Ned Eisenberg will portray Moody. He appeared on Broadway in "Awake and Sing!, which received the 2006 Tony Award for Best Revival. His films include "Flags of Our Fathers," "Million Dollar Baby" and "Head of State."
Dick Latessa will portray Joe Bonaparte's father. He won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Broadway's "
Hairspray," and a
Helen Hayes Award and Chicago's
Joseph Jefferson Award nomination for "Cabaret."
Richard Masur will play Roxy. He starred in more than 50 films, over 45 television movies and several television series, and was nominated for an Emmy for the tv film "The Burning Bed," opposite
Farrah Fawcett. His credits include
Michael Frayne's "Democracy" on Broadway.
Others in the cast include Brian J. Carter,
Bruce MacVittie, John Mainieri,
Andrea Maulella,
Jake Robards and
Andrew Weems. Brian J. Carter appeared off-Broadway in "Wit" and "Waning Moon Over Bensonhurst," as well as regional theatre, television and film.
Bruce MacVittie has over 30 plays on his resume including "American Buffalo" on Broadway and West End, with
Al Pacino. He was in Blue Light Theatre Company's "Golden Boy," directed by
Joanne Woodward. He has been in over 25 films including "Million Dollar Baby." John Mainieri was in the penultimate episode of "The Sopranos," and recently appeared with
Eddie Murphy in "Meet Dave."
Andrea Maulella is currently on the Westport Country Playhouse stage in "Tryst." Her New York credits include "One Shot One Kill," nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
Jake Robards appeared in "Our Town" at Westport Country Playhouse which transferred to a sold-out Broadway run and was televised on Showtime. He just completed the film, "Cadillac Records," with
Jeffrey Wright,
Adrien Brody and Beyonce.
Andrew Weems appeared on Broadway in "Inherit the Wind," "The Green Bird" and "London Assurance." At Westport Country Playhouse, he was in "Journey's End" and "School for Husbands."
As previously announced,
Marisa Tomei will play Lorna. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in "My Cousin Vinny" (1992), and received a second Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for "In the Bedroom" (2001). Ms. Tomei can currently be seen in "War, Inc." a political satire written by and also starring John Cusack. In 2007, she appeared in the
Sidney Lumet-directed "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," for which she earned an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She also was in the movie "Unhook the Stars" opposite
Gena Rowlands, for which she was honored by her peers with a Screen Actor's Guild nomination. Ms. Tomei was last seen on Broadway in
Caryl Churchill's now-classic feminist drama "Top Girls," and prior to that, opposite
Al Pacino and
Dianne Wiest in
Oscar Wilde's "Salome" in the title role. Her previous theatre credits include
Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" and "Rocket to the Moon," both directed by
Joanne Woodward.
Joanne Woodward, director of "Golden Boy," is currently artistic director of Westport Country Playhouse, following six previous seasons as artistic director (2000-2005). For Westport Country Playhouse, she directed "The Member of the Wedding," "The Constant Wife" and "Three Days of Rain," and co-directed with
Anne Keefe "
David Copperfield." Ms. Woodward is an Academy Award-winner for "The Three Faces of Eve," and has received three Emmy Awards. She won a Golden Globe Award for "Breathing Lessons" (Hallmark Hall of Fame). In addition, she received a New York Critics Award and Oscar nomination for "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge."
Playwright
Clifford Odets (1906 - 1963) wrote "Golden Boy" in 1937. He also wrote "Waiting for Lefty" (1935), "Awake and Sing!" (1935), "Paradise Lost" (1935), "Rocket to the Moon" (1938), "The Big Knife" (1949) and "The Country Girl" (1950), among many other plays. A Tony Award nomination came posthumously in 1965, sharing a book credit with
William Gibson for the musical "Golden Boy," based on his play.
"The Classical Series" is supported, in part, by the White Barn Program of the
Lucille Lortel Foundation. An upcoming presentation is scheduled on Monday, November 3, 7 p.m.
Celebrating its 78th season, the venerable Westport Country Playhouse (
Joanne Woodward and
Anne Keefe, Artistic Directors;
Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, Managing Director) is creating innovative new works and dynamic revivals. The Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway including "Come Back, Little Sheba" with
Shirley Booth; "The Trip to Bountiful" with
Lillian Gish; "Butterflies Are Free" with
Keir Dullea and
Blythe Danner; "Absurd Person Singular" with
Sandy Dennis,
Geraldine Page and
Tony Roberts; and "Our Town" with
Paul Newman. The list of actors, directors, and other theatre artists who have worked and continue to perform on the Playhouse's legendary stage reads like a "Who's Who" of the American theatre. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse now produces year-round, welcoming 85,000 audience members annually. In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, the Playhouse presents educational programming and workshops; a children's theatre series; symposiums; music; films; and readings of short fiction, classical works and new plays. Westport Country Playhouse serves as a treasured home for the theatrical arts, its audiences and its artists. For the State of Connecticut, it is a true cultural landmark. Your experience begins at www.westportplayhouse.org.
For more information or reservations, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Information about the Playhouse is also available at www.westportplayhouse.org.
Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.
