Seldes, Foa, Irving, Etc. Set for 2/19 Project Shaw Reading

Project Shaw 2007 will continue with a reading that includes Broadway stars Marian Seldes, Barrett Foa, Paxton Whitehead and George S. Irving. Howard Kissel of the New York Daily News will host the event, which will take place at the Players Club on February 19th at 7 PM.

"Among the three plays will be one of particular interest to those who follow theatre history. A never before published play (also never before performed in New York) about Edward the VIII on the verge of abdicating his throne for  'the woman he loved,': The King, The Constitution and The Lady. This is a play which appeared in London's Evening Standard newspaper in 1936," state press notes.

"Also to be seen will be the rarely performed comedy, The Music Cure - in  which a mysterious woman pulls a neurotic young aristocrat out of his depression through music.

The third comedy is Interlude At The Playhouse, which takes us to the opening night at a new theater.  It concerns a nervous theatre manager who is scheduled to make a  speech, and whose wife is forced to save the day."

Project Shaw, the reading series devoted to presenting every play Shaw ever wrote, is now in its second year. Among those actors who have previously appeared are Blair Brown, Veanne Cox, Brian Murray, Marc Kudisch, Rebecca Luker, Charlotte Rae, Fritz Weaver and Kathleen Widdoes. Those expected to appear in the near future include Cherry Jones, Philip Bosco, Tyne Daly and Brian O'Byrne. As Shaw began his theatrical life as a critic, members of the press have also been involved in each reading. Those who have introduced or acted include Howard Kissel, Charles Isherwood, Michael Riedel, John Simon, and David Cote.

David Staller is the producer and director of the series, a production of his  new theatre company, the Gingold Theatrical Group, named for actress Hermione Gingold.

Tickets are available after the first of every month for each individual reading: call 212-352-3101 or visit www.ProjectShaw.com.

Photo of Barrett Foa by Linda Lenzi