Photo Flash: Arena Stage Opens Suspenseful, Starry Production of WATCH ON THE RHINE

Arena Stage announces full casting for Lillian Hellman's Watch on the Rhine, winner of the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play. Four-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Marsha Mason, known for her performances in the films Cinderella Liberty, The Goodbye Girl, Chapter Two and Only When I Laugh, stars as Fanny Farrelly under esteemed director Jackie Maxwell, former artistic director of Canada's Shaw Festival. Set in Washington, D.C. on the brink of U.S. involvement in World War II, Hellman's suspenseful drama was hailed by the Chicago Tribune as "dramatically gripping and genuinely moving." Watch on the Rhine runs February 3-March 5, 2017 in the Fichandler Stage.

The production features Andrew Long (Broadway's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Arena Stage's Good People) as Kurt Müller, Lise Bruneau (Broadway's The Cherry Orchard, Arena Stage's Mother Courage and Her Children) as Sara Müller, J Anthony Crane (national tour of The Lion King) as Teck De Brancovis and Thomas Keegan (Ford's Theatre's The Glass Menagerie) as David Farrelly.

The cast also includes Tyler Bowman (Signature Theatre's Freaky Friday) as Bodo Müller, Lucy Breedlove as Babette Müller, Helen Hedman (Arena Stage's Long Day's Journey into Night) as Anise, Ethan Miller (Signature Theatre's Gypsy) as Joshua Müller, Natalia Payne (The Old Globe's The Last Match) as Marthe De Brancovis, Addison Switzer as Joseph (Theater Alliance's Black Nativity) and understudies Heidi Kaplan (for Babette Müller) and Ethan Van Slyke (for Joshua and Bodo Müller).

Watch on the Rhine is the second of two full productions as part of the Lillian Hellman Festival, which continues Arena Stage's tradition of showcasing the work of American Giants in the theater (following festivals for Arthur Miller, Edward Albee and Eugene O'Neill). Earlier this season Arena Stage produced The Little Foxes, and beginning January 25, will host staged readings, film screenings and panel discussions to explore and celebrate the iconic playwright, author and political activist. Additional information on Festival programming can be found at arenastage.org/hellman-festival/.

Photo Credit: Cameron Whitman

Marsha Mason (Fanny Farrelly) and director Jackie Maxwell
Andrew Long (Kurt Müller) and Lise Bruneau (Sara Müller)
Arena Stage Deputy Artistic Director Seema Sueko, director Jackie Maxwell and Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith
Lucy Breedlove (Babette Müller), Tyler Bowman (Bodo Müller) and Ethan Miller (Joshua Müller)
Anthony Crane (Teck De Brancovis) and Natalia Payne (Marthe De Brancovis)
Natalia Payne (Marthe De Brancovis), Marsha Mason (Fanny Farrelly), director Jackie Maxwell, Thomas Keegan (David Farrelly), Helen Hedman (Anise) and Andrew Long (Kurt Müller)
Thomas Keegan (David Farrelly) and director Jackie Maxwell
Young cast members Lucy Breedlove, Heidi Kaplan, Ethan Van Slyke, Ethan Miller (back) and Tyler Bowman (front)
Marsha Mason (Fanny Farrelly) and J Anthony Crane (Teck De Brancovis)
Helen Hedman (Anise) and Addison Switzer (Joseph)
The company of Watch on the Rhine at the opening night at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, February 9, 2017.