Moloney, Shamos, Kazan, Etc. Join Playwrights' 'Saints'

Playwrights Horizons has announced additional casting and details for the first production of its 2007/2008 Season, the World Premiere of 100 Saints You Should Know, a new play by Kate Fodor (Hannah and Martin).

Directed by Ethan McSweeny (Broadway revival of The Best Man, Never the Sinner), the production will begin previews on Friday, August 24 with an official opening on Tuesday, September 18 at 7PM.  Performances will continue through Sunday, September 30 at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater (416 West 42nd Street).  

As previously announced, the cast will feature 2-time Tony Award nominee Lois Smith (Buried Child, The Grapes of Wrath).  For her recent and rapturously-acclaimed performance in Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful at Signature Theatre, she received five awards: an Obie Award, a Lucille Lortel Award, a Drama Desk Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award and the Kingsley-Evans Award.  

Joining Smith will be two-time Emmy Award nominee Janel Moloney ("The West Wing"), Obie Award winner Jeremy Shamos (Miss Witherspoon at Playwrights Horizons, Gutenberg! The Musical!), Zoe Kazan (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, the upcoming Things We Want both for The New Group, the upcoming Sam Mendes film Revolutionary Road) and Will Rogers (Columbinus at New York Theatre Workshop).  

"Theresa (Janel Moloney) cleans the rectory of the local parish to support her unruly teenage daughter (Zoe Kazan). When its priest (Jeremy Shamos) leaves the church under uncertain circumstances and returns home to his protective mother (Lois Smith), Theresa finds herself compelled to pursue him.  One eventful night joins them all, forcing a reckoning with the broken memories and shaken faith that divides them – and the discovery of a shared, tenuous common ground," state press materials.

The production features scenic design by Rachel Hauck, costume design by Mimi O'Donnell, lighting design by Jane Cox and sound design by Scott O'Brien.  Production Stage Manager will be Miki McCoy.

Playwrights Horizons is supported in part by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Council, the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate.  In addition, Playwrights Horizons receives major support from Carnegie Corporation of New York, The HWG Fund, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, and Time Warner Inc.

The performance schedule for 100 Saints You Should Know will be Tuesdays through Fridays at 8PM, Saturdays at 2:30 and 8PM and Sundays at 2:30 & 7:30 PM.  Tickets are $65 and will go on sale to the general public starting Wednesday, July 25.  Tickets may be purchased online via TicketCentral.com, by phone at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily), or in person at the Ticket Central Box Office, 416 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues).

Visit www.playwrightshorizons.org for more information.

Photo of Jeremy Shamos by Linda Lenzi