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Hare's Stuff Happens Joins Public Theater Line-Up; Deavere Smith's Play Postponed
By: BWW News Desk Dec. 16, 2005
In other news, the Anna Deavere Smith (Fires in the Mirror, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992) play Let Me Down Easy, co-produced by The Public Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre, will move into the 2006-07 Season due to an expansion in the scope of the project.
"A provocative and thoughtful play about how and why we went to war in Iraq, Stuff Happens brings to the stage an ongoing story of great national and international importance, with characters and dialogue seemingly ripped from today's headlines," state press notes. Artistic Director Oskar Eustis stated that "The Public is absolutely thrilled to be producing Stuff Happens. The play is even more relevant today as it speaks directly to the ongoing war in Iraq, the questionable decision-making of our political leaders, and the immense consequences that flow from their decisions. We are also delighted be working again with David Hare, one of the most important playwrights in the world."
Hare's plays include Plenty (1982 Tony Award for Best Play), A Map of the World, The Secret Rapture, Pravda, Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges and The Absence of War (a trilogy about the Church, the Law and the Labour Party), Skylight, The Blue Room, Amy's View and The Judas Kiss; he also penned the screenplay of The Hours, among others.
Sullivan's recent Broadway credits include After the Night and the Music, Julius Caesar, Brooklyn Boy, Sight Unseen, The Retreat from Moscow and the upcoming Rabbit Hole (for MTC). He received Tony nominations for his direction of Morning's at Seven, The Sisters Rosensweig, Converations with My Father, The Heidi Chronicles and won a Tony for Proof.
As for Let Me Down Easy, press notes state that "After an initial period of extraordinary interviews in Rwanda, Uganda, and South Africa, the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina has led her to encompass New Orleans as a central facet of the work. One of the most exciting works currently in development at The Public, Let Me Down Easy, focuses on the human body and its vulnerability to everything from war and disease to admiration and attention."
"Founded by Joseph Papp as the Shakespeare Workshop and now one of the nations preeminent cultural institutions, The Public is an American theater in which all the countrys voices, rhythms, and cultures converge. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Mara Manus, The Public's mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day on stage and through its extensive outreach and education programs." Over 250,000 people annually attend Public Theater-related events at its six downtown stages including Joe's Pub, and at Shakespeare in the Park and Joes Pub in the Park.For more information, visit www.publictheater.org.
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