Lacey, Hibbert et al. Join Olympia Dukakis in MILK TRAIN at Roundabout in 2011; Cast Announced

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the full company of The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, by Tennessee Williams, directed by Michael Wilson. The cast will include Curtis Billings (Giulio), Elisa Bocanegra (Simonetta), Olympia Dukakis (Flora Goforth), Edward Hibbert (Witch of Capri), Maggie Lacey (Frances Black), Darren Pettie (Christopher Flanders).

The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore will play during the year of Williams' centennial celebration with previews beginning on Friday, January 7th and the official opening on Sunday, January 30th, 2011 at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre (111 West 46th Street). This is a limited engagement through Sunday, April 3rd, 2011.

The design team includes Jeff Cowie (Sets), David C. Woolard (Costumes), Rui Rita (Lights) & John Gromada (Original Music & Sound).

In this haunting Tennessee Williams drama, Olympia Dukakis stars as Flora Goforth, a wealthy American widow. In her picturesque Italian mountaintop home, Flora has detached from the world in order to write her memoirs. When a handsome and mysterious young visitor arrives without warning to keep Flora company in her final hours, this dreamlike play blossoms into a fascinating meditation on life and death.

This production of Williams' play premiered May 2008 at Hartford Stage directed by Artistic Director Michael Wilson and was the culmination of Wilson's ten-year project on the work of Tennessee Williams.

Roundabout Theatre Company has a long association with Tennessee Williams, having staged most recently The Glass Menagerie (2009-2010), Suddenly Last Summer (2006-2007), A Streetcar Named Desire (2004-2005), The Night of the Iguana (1995-1996), Summer and Smoke (1995-1996 and 1975-1976) and The Glass Menagerie (1994-1995).

Roundabout welcomes back Michael Wilson following his Broadway staging of Old Acquaintance at the American Airlines Theatre in 2007. Roundabout is also pleased to have Edward Hibbert appear on their Laura Pels stage following his role in their fall production Mrs. Warren's Profession on Broadway.

The Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre reflects Roundabout's commitment to produce new works by established and emerging writers as well as revivals of classic plays. This state-of-the-art off-Broadway theatre and education complex is made possible by a major gift from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. The Trust was created in 1986 by Harold Steinberg to promote and advance American Theatre as a vital part of our culture by supporting playwrights, encouraging the development and production of new work, and providing financial assistance to theatre companies across the country. Since its inception, the Trust has awarded over $45 million to more than 100 not-for-profit theatre organizations.

The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore is supported by Roundabout's New Play Production Fund with a gift from the Laura Pels Foundation.

Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Laura Pels Box Office (111 West 46th Street). To become a Roundabout subscriber visit www.roundabouttheatre.org or call Roundabout Ticket Services (212)719-1300. Ticket prices range from $71.00-81.00.

The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore will play Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 7:30PM with a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2:00PM.

----

Curtis Billings (Giulio). Off Broadway: The Orphans Home Cycle (Signature Theatre), The Play About the Baby (Century Center). Regional Theatre: The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, Summer and Smoke, Eight by Tenn, Night of the Iguana, Camino Real, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Christmas Carol and Macbeth (All directed by Michael Wilson at the Hartford Stage Company). Summer and Smoke (Papermill Playhouse), Enchanted April (Cleveland Playhouse), The Exonerated (Hartford Theaterworks), The Zoo Story (Directed by Edward Albee), Misalliance, Gross Indecency, A Streetcar Named Desire and Picasso at the Lapin Agile (The Alley Theatre). King Lear, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Tempest (Houston Shakespeare Festival), Fragments (Directed by Edward Albee at the CAC of New Orleans). Film/TV: The Good Wife, Goldenboy, Streetfighter 2, Dirty Pair Flash, Drop Dead Drunk.

Elisa Bocanegra (Simonetta). Elisa Bocanegra made her film debut in the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize Winner for Best Film, Girlfight (exec prod, John Sayles). Soon after she began a career in independent film working on features which include Spun alongside Mickey Rourke, White Oleander and most recently the indie comedy El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan Frances (produced by Norman Lear and George Lopez). Her television credits include starring roles in two projects created by Illeana Douglas - Supermarket of the Stars and the web-series Easy to Assemble. Other television credits include "The Gilmore Girls", "Undeclared" by Judd Apatow, "Judging Amy", "Resurrection Blvd.", "The Division", "NYPD Blue", "Touched By An Angel" and "Taina". Elisa began her theatre career at the Williamstown Theatre Festival where she spent two seasons working with actors such as Ethan Hawke and Hope Davis. Soon after came roles at the Mark Taper Forum, Hartford Stage, The Huntington Theatre, South Coast Rep, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Mabou Mines, INTAR, Cornerstone Theatre, Summer Play Festival NYC, Crossroads Theatre, Ojai Playwrights Conference and Broad Stage in Los Angeles where she was directed by Dustin Hoffman. She trained extensively with both Larry Moss and Patsy Rodenburg, is a graduate of the William Esper Studio where she studied with Bill Esper, and completed a voice program with Shane Ann Younts. Elisa is a native New Yorker who currently lives in Los Angeles.

Olympia Dukakis (Flora Goforth). New York appearances: Rose (Outer Critics Circle Award), Social Security directed by Mike Nichols, Who's Who in Hell, The Aspern Papers, Night of the Iguana, Christopher Durang's The Marriage of Bette and Boo (Obie Award), Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class, Peer Gynt, Titus Andronicus, Electra, Vaclav Havel's The Memorandum, Brecht's A Man's a Man (Obie Award), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and A View From the Bridge (Theatre World Award). Regional theatre: over 150 productions including founding member and Producing Artistic Director of the Whole Theatre in Montclair, NJ for 19 years, where she directed and appeared in many productions including The Rose Tattoo, Happy Days, Long Days Journey, and Mother Courage ; A.C.T. Timberlake Wertenbaker's Hecuba, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Gorky's A Mother, Vigil, and Elektra; Trinity Rep's The Glass Menagerie and The Hope Zone; and Williamstown Theatre Festival for 13 seasons where she also served as Associate Director, most recently Hecuba and The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore (Hartford Stage directed by Michael Wilson). London: Rose (world premiere at the Royal National Theatre). Films: Moonstruck (Academy Award, Best Supporting Actress; NY Film Critics, L.A. Film Critics and Golden Globe awards); Mr. Holland's Opus with Richard Dreyfus; Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite; I Love Trouble with Nick Nolte and Julia Roberts; Look Who's Talking 1, Too and Now! with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley; The Cemetery Club; Steel Magnolias directed by Herbert Ross; Dad co-starring Jack Lemmon; and most recently Away From Her with Julie Christie, Three Needles, and The Intended. Television: the three mini-series based on Armistead Maupin's novels, "Tales of the City," "More Tales of the City," and "Further Tales of the City" (Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA nominations); "Young at Heart" co-starring Frank Sinatra and Louis Zorich (Emmy nomination); "Lucky Day" co-starring Amy Madigan (Emmy nomination); "A Match Made in Heaven," "The Last Act Is Solo" (ACE Award); the mini-series "Sinatra," as Frank Sinatra's mother (Emmy nomination); and for British TV "A Life for a Life" (BAFTA nomination). Other: NJ Governor's Walt Whitman Creative Arts Award; was active in cousin Michael Dukakis' 1988 presidential campaign; and founding member of The National Museum of Women in the Arts. She is married to actor Louis Zorich, and they have three children, Christina, Peter and Stefan and four grandchildren.

Edward Hibbert (Witch of Capri). Broadway: Mrs. Warren's Profession, Curtains, The Drowsy Chaperone, Noises Off, The Green Bird, Me and My Girl, Alice in Wonderland. Off-Broadway includes Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency, Jeffrey (Obie, Dramalogue), My Night with Reg and Privates on Parade. London West End: THE The Mystery of Irma Vep, Lend Me a Tenor and Hamlet. Regional includes The School for Scandal (directed by Brian Bedford) at the Mark Taper, The Importance of Being Earnest (directed by Doug Hughes) at Long Wharf; Yale Rep, McCarter,Bay Street, and Ahmanson. Films include The Prestige, Finding Woodstock, First Wives Club, Everyone Says I Love You, The Paper. Numerous TV includes 11 seasons on "Frasier" as Gil Chesterton, "Law and Order SVU" and "Once Upon a Mattress" with Carol Burnett. www.edwardhibbert.com

Maggie Lacey (Frances Black). Maggie Lacey made her Broadway debut as Emily Webb in Our Town, directed by James Naughton and starring Paul Newman. Other Broadway credits include the Broadway revival of Inherit The Wind directed by Doug Hughes with Christopher Plummer and Brian Dennehy and most recently Dividing The Estate directed by Michael Wilson. Her work Off-Broadway includes the multi-award winning theatrical event Horton Foote's The Orphans Home Cycle at Signature Theatre directed by Michael Wilson, Dividing The Estate at Primary Stages, Big Times which she co-wrote with Mia Barron and Danielle Skraastad and which was directed by Leigh Silverman, the Obie-winning Engaged at Theatre for a New Audience directed by Doug Hughes, Andorra also at TFANA directed by Liviu Ciulei, The Bald Soprano at the Atlantic and Three-Cornered Moon with Keen Co. both directed by Carl Forsman, and The Butterfly Collection at Playwrights Horizons, directed by Bartlett Sher. Her work on television includes the movie of Our Town for both Showtime and PBS, Army Wives, Law and Order, All My Children, and Sex and the City. On film she appears opposite Uma Thurman in Vadim Perlman's "The Life Before her Eyes". Miss Lacey earned her MFA from NYU's Graduate Acting Program.

Darren Pettie (Christopher Flanders). New York credits: The Collection & A Kind of Alaska (Atlantic Theatre Company), This (Playwrights Horizons), Hillary, a Greek Tragedy with a Somewhat Happy Ending (New Georges), Butley (Broadway), Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams (Primary Stages), Hobson's Choice (Atlantic), 99 Histories (Cherry Lane), Unwrap Your Candy (Vineyard), Measure for Measure (Delacorte). Regional: How the Other Half Loves (Westport), Don't Dress for Dinner (Royal George), The Cry of the Reed (Huntington), The Taming of the Shrew (Commonwealth Shakespeare Co.), Dedication or the Stuff of Dreams (WTF), The Shatter Hand Massacre (Berliner Festspiele). Film/Television: Taking Woodstock, The International, Ghost Town, Approaching Union Square, Four Single Fathers, "Mad Men," "Gossip Girl," "Cashmere Mafia," "New Amsterdam," " Without a Trace," "CSI," "Crossing Jordan," "Numbers," "Charmed," "Law & Order: SVU".

Michael Wilson (Director). Broadway: Dividing the Estate, Old Acquaintance (Roundabout Theatre Co.), Enchanted April (Outer Critics Circle nom.), The Carpetbagger's Children (LCT). Off-Broadway: Christopher Shinn's What Didn't Happen (Playwrights Horizons), Horton Foote's Dividing the Estate and The Day Emily Married (Primary Stages), Eve Ensler's Necessary Targets, Jane Anderson's Defying Gravity and the New York premiere of Tennessee Williams' The Red Devil Battery Sign. Resident: Alley Theatre (Associate Director 1990-98), American Repertory Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Guthrie Theatre, Long Wharf Theatre and Hartford Stage, where in 12 seasons as Artistic Director, he has staged plays by Ludlam, O'Neill and Shakespeare as well as premieres by David Grimm and Tennessee Williams. International: Tony Kushner's Angels in America, Parts I and II (Venice Biennale). Awards: Princess Grace Foundation-USA Statue, Elliot Norton and Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Awards. Education: Morehead-Cain Scholar, UNC-Chapel Hill.

Tennessee Williams (Playwright). Born Thomas Lanier Williams in Columbus, Mississippi, in 1914, Tennessee was the son of a shoe company executive and a Southern belle. Williams described his childhood in Mississippi as happy and carefree. This sense of belonging and comfort were lost, however, when his family moved to the urban environment of St. Louis, Missouri. It was there he began to look inward, and to write - "because I found life unsatisfactory." Williams' early adult years were occupied with attending college at three different universities, a brief stint working at his father's shoe company, and a move to New Orleans, which began a lifelong love of the city and set the locale for A Streetcar Named Desire. Williams spent a number of years traveling throughout the country and trying to write. His first critical acclaim came in 1944 when The Glass Menagerie opened in Chicago and went to Broadway. It won a Pulitzer Prize, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and, as a film, the New York Film Critics' Circle Award. At the height of his career in the late 1940s and 1950s, Williams worked with the premier artists of the time, most notably Elia Kazan, the director for stage and screen productions of A Streetcar Named Desire, and the stage productions of Camino Real, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, and Sweet Bird Of Youth. Kazan also direcTEd Williams' film Baby Doll. In 1961 he wrote The Night Of The Iguana, and in 1963, The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More. His plays, which had long received criticism for openly addressing taboo topics, were finding more and more detractors. Around this time, Williams' longtime companion, Frank Merlo, died of cancer. Williams began to depend more and more on alcohol and drugs and though he continued to write, completing a book of short stories and another play, he was in a downward spiral. In 1969 he was hospitalized by his brother. After his release from the hospital in the 1970s, Williams wrote plays, a memoir, poems, short stories and a novel. In 1975 he published "Memoirs," which detailed his life and discussed his addiction to drugs and alcohol, as well as his homosexuality. In 1980 Williams wrote Clothes For A Summer Hotel, based on the lives of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Only three years later, Tennessee Williams died in a New York City hotel filled with half-finished bottles of wine and pills.

Roundabout Theatre Company is a not-for-profit theatre dedicated to providing a nurturing artistic home for theatre artists at all stages of their careers where the widest possible audience can experience their work at affordable prices. Roundabout fulfills its mission each season through the revival of classic plays and musicals; development and production of new works by established playwrights and emerging writers; educational initiatives that enrich the lives of children and adults; and a subscription model and audience outreach programs that cultivate loyal audiences.

Roundabout Theatre Company currently produces at three permanent homes each of which is designed specifically to enhance the needs of the Roundabout's mission. Off-Broadway, the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, which houses the Laura Pels Theatre and Black Box Theatre, with its simple sophisticated design is perfectly suited to showcasing new plays. The grandeur of its Broadway home on 42nd Street, American Airlines Theatre, sets the ideal stage for the classics. Roundabout's Studio 54 provides an exciting and intimate Broadway venue for its musical and special event productions. Together these three distinctive venues serve to enhance the work on each of its stages.

American Airlines is the official airline of Roundabout Theatre Company. Roundabout productions are made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; the New York State Council on the Arts, celebrating 50 years of building strong, creative communities in New York State's 62 counties; and the City of New York Theater Subdistrict Council, LDC and the City of New York.

Roundabout Theatre Company's 2010-2011 season features George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession starring Cherry Jones & Sally Hawkins, directed by Doug Hughes; Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, adapted and directed by Emma Rice; Kim Rosenstock's Tigers Be Still, directed by Sam Gold; Julia Cho's The Language Archive, directed by Mark Brokaw; Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, starring and directed by Brian Bedford; Tennessee Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore starring Olympia Dukakis, directed by Michael Wilson; Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster & Joel Grey, directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall; David West Read's The Dream of the Burning Boy, directed by Evan Cabnet and Stoller, Butler & Dart's The People in the Picture, starring Donna Murphy, directed by Leonard Foglia. Roundabout's sold out production of The 39 Steps made its third transfer to the New World Stages after a successful Broadway run at three Broadway theatres.

For more information, visit www.roundabouttheatre.org.

 

 

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos