Stephen Lang Awarded National Council of the Arts Medal

Today, July 13th, actor and playwright Stephen Lang was awarded the National Council of the Arts Chairmen's Medal.  The Chairman's Medal is a new award given on special occasions to individuals who have performed long and distinguished service to the Arts Endowment and the educational and artistic organizations it supports.

Stephen Lang was honored for his worldwide tour of Beyond Glory through the NEA's groundbreaking Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience.  "This unique literary program preserves the stories and reflections of American troops who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and their families," state press notes.

Through Operation Homecoming, Lang presented a tour of his one-man play, Beyond Glory free of charge to troops and their families at 30 overseas and domestic military installations from April through July 2005.  Lang also taught writing workshops at several of these base visits.  Stephen Lang's Beyond Glory is currently enjoying a critically acclaimed run at Roundabout Theatre Company's Laura Pels Theatre Off-Broadway.

Roundabout Theatre Company is presenting the New York premiere of Beyond Glory, written by and starring Stephen Lang, directed by Robert Falls, from the book by Larry Smith.

Beyond Glory opened officially on Thursday, June 21st, Off-Broadway at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street).  This is a limited engagement through August 19th, 2007.

The design team includes Tony Cisek (sets), David Woolard (costumes), Dan Covey (lights) Cecil Averett (sound), Robert Kessler & Ethan Neuburg (original music), John Boesche (projections).

In Stephen Lang's theatrical adaptation of Larry Smith's book, Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words, Lang "presents the stories of eight veterans from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, rendering first hand accounts of the actions which resulted in each of them receiving the nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor. Beyond Glory gathers these men together in the present to look back on the defining moments of their lives and to examine the meaning of courage, duty and, ultimately, humility," state press materials.

An actor and playwright, Lang's distinguished premieres include Defiance by John Patrick Shanley, The Speed of Darkness by Steve Tesich, Finishing the Picture by Arthur Miller and A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin. Lang just portrayed David Sarnoff in the page-to-stage workshop of Sorkin's new play, The Farnsworth Invention, at La Jolla Playhouse. For The Roundabout Lang played the title role in Hamlet, and half of the title roles in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. His films include Last Exit to Brooklyn, Tombstone, Gettysburg and Gods and Generals. Forthcoming films include: Save Me and From Mexico With Love, as well as a mini-series, "The Bronx is Burning." Multiple nominations and awards include the Helen Hayes, the Joseph Jefferson, the Grace Prize, Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Tony Award. Lang is a Co-Artistic Director of The Actors Studio.

Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Laura Pels Theatre at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre box office (111 West 46 Street).  Ticket prices range from $56.25-$66.25.

Photo by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.