McKenzie, Darragh, Keeley Join GLASS MENAGERIE at Taper

Judith Ivey, who plays the iconic Amanda Wingfield, will be joined by Patch Darragh as Tom, Keira Keeley as Laura and Ben McKenzie as Jim O'Connor, the Gentleman Caller, in Center Theatre Group's presentation of the Long Wharf Theatre production of "The Glass Menagerie."  Tennessee Williams' haunting memory play begins previews on September 1 and opens September 12 with performances continuing through October 17, 2010, at the Mark Taper Forum.

Ivey, Darragh and Keeley return to the roles they played at the Long Wharf Theatre and in the subsequent Roundabout presentation; Ben McKenzie, who is best known for his roles on "Southland" and "The O.C.," and in the films "Johnny Got His Gun" and "Junebug" joins the company for this CTG run.

In 1964, the Music Center opened through a partnership with the County of Los Angeles, which owns the facilities including the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre. In 1967, Founding Artistic Director Gordon Davidson began creating new work at the Mark Taper Forum and opened the theatre with the controversial play, The Devils. This play, written by John Whiting, was about a vain priest who becomes a scapegoat for a corrupt political system.

The Taper has received virtually every theatrical award including the 1977 special Tony for theatrical excellence. Additionally, the Taper was distinguished by having two of its plays, The Kentucky Cycle and Angels in America (Part One - Millennium Approaches), receive in consecutive years the Pulitzer Prize in Drama, marking the first time for this prestigious award.

Since its inception in 1967, the Ahmanson Theatre has presented a wide variety of dramas, musicals, comedies and classic revivals, including 11 plays by Neil Simon (five world premieres). The Ahmanson has been represented on Broadway as a co-producer of the award-winning Smoke Joe's Café, August Wilson's The Piano Lesson and Two Trains Running, and Frank Loesser's The Most Happy Fella.

Under the artistic leadership of Robert Fryer, the Ahmanson Theatre played host to a veritable who's who in the entertainment world including Katherine Hepburn, ElizaBeth Taylor, Jack Lemmon, Ingrid Bergman, Charlton Heston, Angela Lansbury and Peter Ustinov. In 1989, Gordon Davidson assumed the role of Artistic Director for the Ahmanson Theatre and was responsible for programming The Phantom of the Opera for a record-breaking, four-year stay at the Ahmanson Theatre.

For more information, visit: www.centertheatregroup.org

 

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