James Rebhorn: Over a Decade with Roundabout

It is not difficult to see why The New York Times classifies James Rebhorn as a "New York theatre stalwart." His remarkably prolific career spans over thirty years across stage and screen. He can currently be seen on the Emmy Award-winning televisions series "Homeland" portraying Frank Mathison. Recently, Rebhorn returned to the Roundabout stage for his fifth production, Too Much, Too Much, Too Many, marking more than a decade-long relationship with Roundabout Theatre Company.

James Rebhorn began working with Roundabout in our 2002 production of Arthur Miller's The Man Who Had All the Luck, directed by Scott Ellis. Miller's first play, the story is centered on a young Midwestern man charged with the burden of continuing his good fortune. The production starred Chris O'Donnell, with whom Rebhorn had previously shared the screen with in Martin Bert's Oscar-nominated film Scent of a Womanalong with Al Pacino. Rebhorn earned rave reviews for his portrayal of Patterson Beeves, the father to the young man who possesses limited intellectual means but is full good intentions.

Richard Riehl, Samantha Mathis, Chris O'Donnell, Mason Adams and James Rebhorn in The Man Who Had All The Luck. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Rebhorn returned to work with director Scott Ellis in our Tony-nominated production of Twelve Angry Men in 2005. This classic drama by Reginald Rose frames the arduous deliberation of a panel of jurors during a murder trial. Rebhorn's characterization of Juror Four garnered much praise, including from John Simons of New York Magazine who described his performance as, "methodical, buttoned-up but unsweaty in this hot room, coolly yet unimaginatively reasoning."

James Rebhorn and the cast of Twelve Angry Men. Photo by Joan Marcus.

In 2007, Reborn took the stage at the American Airlines Theatre in Prelude to a Kiss as Dr. Boyle. Written by Craig Lucas, Prelude to a Kiss tells the bizarre tale of a young couple that find themselves in a predicament when the new bride kisses an elderly man and their bodies magically switch. Rebhorn played a "cheerfully oblivious" father to the bride with New York Post writer Clive Barnes describing his portrayal as "unerring."

James Rebhorn and the cast of Prelude to a Kiss. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Later that year, Rebhorn was seen in his fourth role at Roundabout in the American premiere production of The Overwhelming. In this play, which highlights the complicated relationship between Americans and Rwanda during the mass genocide in 1994, Rebhorn played a U.S. Official that New York Post writer Frank Scheck called, "deceptively jovial."

James Rebhorn and Sam Robards in The Overwhelming. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Recently, Rebhorn returned to the stage in Roundabout Underground's world premiere of Too Much, Too Much, Too Many. Written by up-and-coming playwright Meghan Kennedy, the play follows a mother (played by Phyllis Somerville) and daughter (played by Rebecca Henderson) through their journey to heal after the loss of their father. Rebhorn plays James, the memory of the recently-departed husband and father in this bitter-sweet, poignant new drama about the walls we build to protect our hearts and deciding when it's time to break them down.

James Rebhorn and Rebecca Henderson in Too Much, Too Much, Too Many. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Too Much, Too Much, Too Many plays at Roundabout Underground's Black Box Theatre until January 5, 2014. All tickets are $20. For more information and tickets, please visit our website.

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