Holly Hunter Stars in The Flea's THE VANDAL World Premiere, 1/18-2/17

The Flea Theater presents the World Premiere of The Vandal by Hamish Linklater. The play will star Holly Hunter, Zach Grenier and Noah Robbins, with direction by Jim Simpson, The Flea's founder and Artistic Director. This limited Off-Broadway engagement begins previews January 18 with opening slated for January 31.

Set in Kingston, New York, The Vandal is a startling, funny and dark new play about a woman and a boy who meet at a bus stop on a cold night and the stories they tell to keep each other warm.

Says Simpson, "Most of us know Hamish as being one of his generations most gifted and wonderful stage actors. It was such a surprise to discover that he is also a new playwright of great promise." Adds Linklater, "I'm beyond thrilled that The Flea and Jim (Simpson) have given me this opportunity."

The design team features David M. Barber (Set Designer), Brian Aldous (Lighting Designer), and Claudia Brown (Costume Designer).

Hamish Linklater has worked as an actor in theater/TV/film. NY theater credits include School for Lies at C.S.C. (Lortel, OCC noms, Obie Award), Merchant of Venice, Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night (Drama Desk nom) at the Delacourt, Recent Tragic Events & The Busy World is Hushed (Drama League nom) at Playwrights Horizons, Good Thing at The New Group, and most recently, Seminar at the Golden Theater. Other plays include The Portal and The United Kingdom which have been read and workshopped at The Flea, New York Stage & Film, Williamstown, MTC, and The Echo Theatre in Los Angeles. He co-wrote the TV pilot The Prince of Motor City for ABC. He is best known for his role opposite Julia Louis Dreyfus on The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Holly Hunter won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Piano and has also received Oscar nominations for her work in Broadcast News, The Firm and Thirteen. Hunter has also starred in such films as Raising Arizona, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Copycat, Crash, Nine Lives and the animated blockbuster The Incredibles. Nominated for both an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe for her starring role on the TNT television series Saving Grace, Hunter has also received two Emmy's and seven nominations and a Golden Globe and six nominations for her work in such television movies as Roe vs. Wade, and When Billie Beat Bobby, among others. Holly has recently completed work a BBC/Sundance Channel original miniseries from Jane Campion, who also directed her in The Piano, and she also has the independent film Jackie which premiered this fall in competition at the Toronto Film Festival as well as another film marking the directorial debut of Diablo Cody (Juno).

Zach Grenier can currently be seen playing David Lee, head of Family Law, on the hit CBS show The Good Wife. In recent seasons in New York, he has appeared at the Atlantic Theater Company in John Patrick Shanley's Storefront Church and Moira Buffini's Gabriel; at the Roundabout Theatre Company in Man and Boy and A Man for All Seasons. He was nominated for a Tony Award® for his portrayal of Beethoven in Moisés Kaufman's 33 Variations, starring Jane Fonda. Earlier in his career in New York, he appeared in the experimental plays of Richard Foreman, Jeffrey M. Jones and Mac Wellman, performing in Wellman's Sincerity Forever under the direction of Jim Simpson. He also performed in more naturalistic fare at The Circle Repertory Company, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Ensemble Studio Theatre, of which he is a member. His performance in David Rabe's A Question of Mercy at New York Theatre Workshop earned him an Outstanding Artist honor from the Drama League. His performance as Dick Cheney in David Hare's Stuff Happens was recognized with Ensemble Awards by both the Drama League and the Drama Desk. His work on television includes such critically acclaimed series as 24 and David Milch's Deadwood. His film credits include independent releases such as Liebestraum, A Shock to the System, Chasing Sleep and Earthwork, as well as major motion pictures like Tommy Boy, Twister, and Swordfish. Other notable film credits include David Fincher's Zodiac and Fight Club; Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil, Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn, and Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. Look for him in the upcoming film Robocop.

Noah Robbins most recently starred as the title character in Nathan Englander's The Twenty-Seventh Man at The Public Theater. He performed in a Flea Theater benefit reading of The Vandal alongside Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. Broadway: Arcadia, Brighton Beach Memoirs (Outer Critics Circle nomination). Off-Broadway: Secrets of the Trade (Clive Barnes Award nomination). He won the Best Actor award at the L.A. Comedy Festival for Newsworthy, a short film directed by his brother Jeremy. He is currently majoring in Philosophy at Columbia University.

The Flea Theater, under Artistic Director Jim Simpson and Producing Director Carol Ostrow, is one of New York's leading off-off-Broadway companies. Winner of a Special Drama Desk Award for outstanding achievement, Obie Awards and an Otto for political theater, The Flea has presented over 100 plays and numerous dance and live music performances since its inception in 1996. Past productions include the premieres of Anne Nelson's The Guys, seven plays by A.R. Gurney (O Jerusalem, Screenplay, Mrs. Farnsworth, Post Mortem, A Light Lunch, Office Hours and Heresy), Cellophane and Two September by Mac Wellman, Ashley Montana Goes Ashore... and The Oldsmobiles by Roger Rosenblatt; JABU and Kaspar Hauser by Elizabeth Swados; Return of the Chocolate Smeared Woman by Karen Finley, Bingo with the Indians by Adam Rapp, Oh, The Humanity and other exclamations by Will Eno, Dawn and Job by Thomas Bradshaw, Love/Stories (or But You Will Get Used to it) Itamar Moses, The Great Recession, Girls in Trouble by Jonathan Reynolds, Parents' Evening by Bathsheba Doran, Looking at Christmas by Steven Banks, the Drama Desk nominated She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen, the Drama Desk nominated These Seven Sicknesses by Sean Graney and I Hate f-ing Mexicans by Luis Enrique Gutiérrez Ortiz Monasterio. Upcoming holiday extravaganza: Amy Freed's Restoration Comedy

THE VANDAL runs January 18 - February 17, Tuesday - Saturday at 7pm with matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 3pm. The Flea is located at 41 White Street between Church and Broadway, three blocks south of Canal, close to the A/C/E, N/R/Q, 6, J/M/Z and 1 subway lines. Tickets start at $45, and are available by calling 212-352-3101 or online at www.theflea.org.