Kathleen Turner Directs Roundabout 'Crimes of the Heart'

Roundabout Theatre Company is proud to announce a new Off-Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Crimes of the Heart, written by Beth Henley and directed by Kathleen Turner.  The cast will feature Patch Darragh (Doc Porter), Jennifer Dundas (Lenny Magrath), Sarah Paulson (Meg Magrath), Lily Rabe (Babe Botrelle), Jessica Stone (Chick Boyle) and Chandler Williams (Barnette Lloyd).

Crimes of the Heart will begin previews on Friday, January 18 and open officially on Thursday, February 7, 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 April 13, 2008.

The design team will be announced shortly.

"Crimes of the Heart is a sharply funny play about the sometimes frayed edges of sisterly bonds.  The Magrath sisters have trouble with men.  Lonely Lenny (Dundas) never married, failed singer/actress Meg (Paulson) lost count, and the youngest, Babe (Rabe) married an abuser—and shot him.  Now the sisters reunite at Old Granddaddy's home in Hazelhurst, Mississippi to face life's most absurd tragedies.  Alone, each woman might call it quits.  Together, they'll have the most hilarious time of their lives," explain press notes.

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).  Tickets will range from $63.75 - $73.75.  www.roundabouttheatre.org

Crimes of the Heart will play Tuesday through Saturday evening at 7:30PM with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2PM.  

The world premiere of Crimes of the Heart took place in 1979 at the Actors Theatre of Louisville.  In 1981, Crimes of the Heart opened on Broadway, was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.  This production of Crimes of the Heart is based on the 2007 Williamstown Theatre Festival production.

Photo: Director Kathleen Turner (by Retna Ltd., 2006)