Marisa Tomei To Star In Westport's Reading of 'Golden Boy'

Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei and other actors to be announced will 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.

In "Golden Boy," Joe Bonaparte dreams of becoming a world-famous violinist. When he is coerced into prize fighting by the lovely Lorna (Ms. Tomei), 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. Written in 1937, "Golden Boy" is the story of a young man who finds himself at the crossroads of his life. If you make the wrong choice, though, can you ever find your way back?

Marisa Tomei 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 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."

Clifford Odets (1906 – 1963) 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.  His screenplays include "Sweet Smell of Success" (1957) and "Wild in the Country" (1961). 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.

Tickets to "Golden Boy" are $15.  For more information, 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.

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