Hoffman Joins All-Star Cast of Westport Love Poems Reading

Philip Seymour Hoffman has joined previously announced cast members Joanne Woodward, Paul Newman, Eartha Kitt, Charles Grodin, Joanna Gleason and Chris Sarandon to read classic, contemporary and humorous love poems in "Come Be My Love….Love Spoken Here," on Saturday February 10, 8 p.m., at Westport Country Playhouse.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is a member and co-artistic director of LAByrinth Theater Company. Theater directing credits include The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Our Lady of 121st Street, Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train (Edinburgh Fringe Festival/ Donmar Warehouse) and In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings, each by Stephen Adly Guirgis. He also directed Rebecca Gilman's The Glory of Living (MCC Theater) and will direct Andrew Upton's Riflemind this fall with the Sydney Theater Company.

Hoffman's theater acting credits include Long Day's Journey into Night (Broadway), The Seagull (The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival), True West (Broadway), Defying Gravity (American Place Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (directed by Peter Sellars), Shopping and F*cking (New York Theatre Workshop) and The Author's Voice (Drama Department).

His film credits are the recently completed Mike Nichols' "Charlie Wilson's War," "The Savages" with Laura Linney and Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead." In 2006, he won the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the title character in "Capote" which he executive-produced through his company, Coopers Town Productions. Other film credits include "Mission: Impossible 3," HBO's "Empire Falls," "Cold Mountain," "Owning Mahowny," "25th Hour," "Love Liza," "Punch Drunk Love," "Red Dragon," "Almost Famous," "State and Main," "Flawless," "Magnolia," "The Talented Mr. Ripley," "Boogie Nights," "Happiness," "The Big Lebowski," "Nobody's Fool" and "Hard Eight."

"Come Be My Love….Love Spoken Here" is a special Valentine program in support of the Playhouse's educational programming.  A reception of champagne and desserts will follow the performance.

Tickets are $300, of which $225 is tax deductible; and $175, of which $100 is tax deductible.

Among the authors whose love poems will be read are Maya Angelou, Emily Dickinson, T. S. Eliot, e.e. cummings, Dorothy Parker, William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Ogden Nash, Langston Hughes, Tennessee Williams and Noel Coward.

For more information and tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or for out-of-town callers toll-free at 888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Information about the Playhouse is also available at www.westportplayhouse.org.