Ed Harris To Star In LaBute's WRECKS At Geffen Playhouse, Previews 2/4/2010

Playwright Neil LaBute returns for the third time in as many years to the Geffen Playhouse's intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis theater, and this time he's bringing along Obie and Golden Globe winner, four-time Oscar and Tony nominee Ed Harris.

The show is Wrecks, which had its world premiere starring Harris in Ireland (2005), which then transferred for an acclaimed run at New York's Public Theatre (2006). Wrecks begins in previews at the Geffen Playhouse on February 4, 2010, opens on February 7 and closes on March 7. Wrecks is a one-act tour de force by Harris, who plays Edward Carr, a used-car salesman who has just lost his wife of 30 years.

Set in a funeral home, this stream of conscious monologue lures audiences into Carr's moving story about his extraordinary marriage. LaBute refers to his work as "a love story," but anyone familiar with the playwright's repertoire knows that nothing is as elusive as the truth. Laced with passion, humor and a hint of darkness, Wrecks is a symphony of emotions with Harris holding the baton. "The genius of Ed's performance is what makes this play tick," said LaBute. "This character has none of the innate cruelty that some of my other male characters possess, and Ed has the ability to generate instant empathy from his audience, which is crucial in a piece about love and its boundaries - and how far they can be stretched."

WRECKS

Written and Directed by Neil LaBute Featuring Ed Harris

Previews: February 4 - February 7, 2010 Opening: February 7, 2010

Closing: March 7, 2010

Performance Schedule

Previews

Thursday, Feb 4 8:00pm Friday, Feb 58:00pm Saturday, Feb 6 3:00pm and 8:00pm Sunday, Feb 7 2:00pm Run Tuesday - Friday 8:00pm Saturday 3:00pm; 8:00pm Sunday 2:00pm Ticket Info Ticket prices range from $59 - $64 for preview performances and from $69 to $74 for the regular run. Tickets are on sale now at the Geffen Playhouse box office or by calling (310) 208-5454.

Ed Harris (Edward Carr) In addition to originating the role of Edward Carr in Wrecks at the Everyman Palace Theatre in Ireland as well as reprising it for the New York run in 2006, Harris' theater credits include: Taking Sides, Fool for Love (Obie Award -Outstanding Actor), Precious Sons (Drama Desk Award - Outstanding Actor), Prairie Avenue, Scar, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Grapes of Wrath, Sweet Bird of Youth, and Simpatico (Lucille Lortel Award - Best Actor).

Harris co-wrote, directed and produced Appaloosa and stars in the upcoming films What's Wrong with Virginia and Peter Weir's The Way Back. His feature credits include over 45 other films, including Gone Baby Gone, National Treasure 2, Copying Beethoven, A History of Violence (National Society of Film Critics Award), The Hours (Academy Award nomination), Pollock (Academy Award nomination), which marked his directorial debut, The Truman Show (Golden Globe Award and Academy Award nomination) and Apollo 13 (SAG Award and Academy Award nomination). Neil LaBute (Writer/Director) Neil LaBute received his Master of Fine Arts degree in dramatic writing from New York University and was the recipient of a literary fellowship to study at The Royal Court Theatre. Films include: In the Company of Men (NewYork Critics' Circle Award for Best First Feature, Filmmakers' Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival), Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty, Possession, The Shape of Things -- a film adaptation of his play by the same title -- and The Wicker Man, starring Nicolas Cage, and Lakeview Terrace, starring Samuel L. Jackson. Plays include: bash: latter-day plays, The Shape of Things, The Distance From Here, The Mercy Seat, Autobahn, Fat Pig, This IsHow It Goes, Some Girl(s), In a Dark Dark House and Reasons to be Pretty (Tony Award nomination). LaBute is the author of several fictional pieces that have been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Harper'sBazaar and Playboy among others. A collection of his short stories was published by Grove/Atlantic in October 2004.

ABOUT THE Geffen Playhouse

The Geffen Playhouse has been a hub of the Los Angeles theater scene since opening its doors in 1995. Noted for its intimacy and celebrated for its world-renowned mix of classic and contemporary plays, provocative new works and musicals, the Geffen Playhouse continues to present a body of work that has garnered national recognition. Named in honor of entertainment mogul and philanthropist David Geffen, who made the initial donation to the theater, the company is helmed by Producing Director and President of the Board Gilbert (Gil) Cates, ArtisticDirector Randall Arney, Managing Director Ken Novice and Chairman of the Board Frank Mancuso. Proudly associated with UCLA, the Geffen Playhouse welcomes an audience of more than 130,000 each year, andmaintains an extensive education and outreach program, designed to engage young people and the community at large in the arts. For more information, please visit geffenplayhouse.com.

Photo credit: Linda Lenzi