Hunt Talks OUR TOWN and Desire to Join MERCHANT OF VENICE in NYT

In July sixth's New York Times, Helen Hunt spoke with Patrick Healy about joining the Barrow Street Theatre production of OUR TOWN as its first female 'Stage Manager.'

Hunt said, "I'm not joining this production because I saw a huge career move in spending the summer in July doing this play - though I did want to play Portia in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE in the park but couldn't get them interested. But this production is my kind of production, the way it strips away everything and just leaves the audience with these actors and the story."

The entire text of the article, which also features words on Hunt from director David Cromer, can be viewed here.

Producers Scott Morfee, Jean Doumanian and Tom Wirtshafter welcome Academy Award-winning actress Helen Hunt to the cast of David Cromer's acclaimed production of Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN, for four weeks only (Tuesday, July 6th to Sunday, August 1st), at the Barrow Street Theatre, succeeding Michael McKean, who gave his final performance on Sunday evening, July 4. Ms. Hunt becomes the sixth actor to assume the iconic role in this record-breaking production.

Helen Hunt performed the role of ‘Emily' in the Tony Award-winning Lincoln Center Theatre production of Our Town, in which Spalding Gray was the ‘Stage Manager.' (Mr. Cromer has dedicated his production of Our Town to the memory Spalding Gray). Ms. Hunt's last Broadway appearances were in Yazmena Reza's Life (x) 3, and as ‘Viola' in Lincoln Center Theater's production of Twelfth Night.

The New York production of Our Town began performances on February 17, 2009, with an official opening night on February 26, 2009 where it received rave reviews at the downtown venue. Our Town went on to win the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Production and Outstanding Direction and Obie Award for Outstanding Director. This current staging of Our Town enters its second year on February 26th and became the longest-running production of the play in its 72-year history with its record-breaking 337th performance on December 16, 2009.

The current cast of Our Town includes (in alphabetical order) Elizabeth Audley as Mrs. Soames, Robert Beitzel as Howie Newsome, Kati Brazda as Mrs. Webb, Will Brill as Joe Crowell, Jr, Nathan Dame as Sam Craig, Roger E. DeWitt as Joe Stoddard, Donna Jay Fulks as Mrs. Gibbs, Emma Galvin as Rebecca Gibbs, Jennifer Grace as Emily Webb, Wilbur Edwin Henry as Professor Willard, Mark Hattan as Constable Warren, David Manis as Mr. Webb, Jonathan Mastro as Simon Stimson, Michael McKean as the Stage Manager, James McMenamin as George Gibbs, Seamus Mulcahy as Wally Webb, Jeff Still as Doc Gibbs, Jason Yachanin as Si Crowell, with Dana Jacks, Lynn Laurence, Kathleen Peirce, Keith Perry and Mark Shock.

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