Jayne Houdyshell of WELL Wins Bay Area Critics Circle Award

Jayne Houdyshell was awarded a San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Female Supporting Performance earlier today for her work in the American Conservatory Theater's production of WELL. Houdyshell, who won an Obie Award for her work in WELL at the Public Theater, is making her Broadway debut in the play this spring.

WELL begins previews on Broadway this Friday, March 10th at the Longacre Theatre (220 West 48 Street). WELL opens on March 30. Obie Award winners Lisa Kron and Jayne Houdyshell will reprise the roles they created at The Public Theater last year. Daniel Breaker, Saidah Arrika Ekulona, John Hoffman and Christina Kirk will join them.

WELL is produced by Elizabeth I. McCann and Scott Rudin, Boyett Ostar, Roger Berlind, Terry Allen Kramer, Carole Shorenstein Hays, and True Love Productions.

WELL opens with Lisa Kron's mother sitting on a La-Z-Boy recliner in the middle of the stage. As the play goes on to deal with Kron's personal experiences of healing, a comedic coup d'état breaks out. The actors critique the script, her memories conflict with her flashbacks, her mother interrupts with her own opinions, and Kron finds herself in danger of losing control. The result is a hilarious and brazen piece that questions our thoughts on the conventions of both theatre and wellness.

WELL made its world premiere at the Public Theater in the spring of 2004, a production that was on the "Best of 2004" lists of The New York Times, The Associated Press, and The Star-Ledger. The production garnered Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle nominations and an OBIE award for Jayne Houdyshell's heartfelt, yet humorous portrayal of Kron's mother.