White, Taylor, Etc. Set for O'Neill Playwrights Conference

Wendy C. Goldberg, Artistic Director of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's National Playwrights Conference announced the actors cast in 2007 NPC projects. The actors include a mix of award-winning actors from stage and screen, seasonEd O'Neill performers, and new talent.  The Playwrights Conference will be presented this July at the O'Neill Center's Home in Waterford, CT.

The list includes 2007 Tony Award winner Julie White (Best Performance by a leading actress, The Little Dog Laughed); Peter Friedman, who received the Outer Critics Circle Award and Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations for his roles in Ragtime, The Heidi Chronicles and The Common Pursuit; Lenny Von Dohlen, best known for the role of agoraphobic Harold Smith on "Twin Peaks;" Dramalogue and Los Angeles Critics Award winning Deirdre O'Connell; John Rothman, who appeared recently in the Broadway revival of Prelude To A Kiss and in films including Ghostbusters, Gettysburg and The Devil Wears Prada; Mike Doyle, who played forensics technicIan Ryan O'Halloran on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"  Amy Redford, acclaimed for her role in Daisy Foote's Bhutan at NYC's Cherry Lane Theatre; Kevin Geer, seen recently on Broadway in Twelve Angry Men, and a frequent O'Neill performer;and Rebecca Brooksher, a 2007 Lucille Lortel Award nominee for her role in Dying City at Lincoln Center, her off-Broadway debut.

Also appearing will be: Jeremy Bobb, who recently appeared in Garry Hynes's Tony nominated Broadway production of Brian Friel's Translations; Myra Lucretia Taylor, recently seen in A.R. Gurney's Crazy Mary at Playwrights Horizons; Jess Weixler, who won a jury acting prize for her starring role in the recent Sundance Film Festival favorite, Teeth; Thomas Sadoski, who made his Broadway debut in the 2004 production of Reckless; Jonathan Walker, who appeared on Broadway in 2004's Twentieth Century and After The Fall; John Jellison, who starred in Broadway's All Shook Up and Caroline, or Change; Colman Domingo, who recently appeared in Passing Strange at The Public Theater and has extensive San Francisco area credits, including the award-winning Blues For An Alabama Sky at Theaterworks California.

Goldberg said, "I'm delighted that we have such an exciting roster of performers – a great mix of award-winning actors, seasonEd O'Neill performers and new talent -- to bring our writers' work to life at the O'Neill. The O'Neill, its artists and its audiences will truly benefit from the skills of these performers."  Casting Director is Alan Filderman.

The casts for the NPC's projects are:

End Days by Deborah Zoe Laufer
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
Performances: Thurs. July 5 at 8:00 pm; Sat., July 7 at 8:00 pm
Cast: Peter Friedman, Zoe Lister Jones, Ryan King, Caitlin O'Connell, David Ross

The Velvet Rut by James Still
Directed by Lisa Peterson
Performances: Fri., July 6 at 8:00 pm; Sun., July 8 at 5:00 pm
Cast: Clifton Guterman, Lenny Von Dohlen

The Woodpecker by Samuel Brett Williams
Directed by Jesse Berger
Performances: Weds., July 11 at 8:00 pm; Fri., July 13 at 8:00 pm
Cast: Christian Conn, Deirdre O'Connell

The Crowd You're In With by Rebecca Gilman
Directed by Wendy C. Goldberg
Performances: Thurs., July 12 at 8:00 pm; Sat., July 14 at 5:00 pm
Cast: Mike Doyle, Ryan King, Amy Redford, John Rothman, Makela Spielman, Tom Story 

Good Boys and True by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Directed by Peter DuBois
Performances: Weds., July 18 at 8:00 pm; Fri., July 20 at 8:00 pm
Cast: Rebecca Brooksher, Ravenna Fahey, Kevin Geer, Billy Magnusson, Peter Stadlen, Julie White

The Book Club Play by Karen Zacarias
Directed by Bruce Sevy
Performances: Thurs., July 19 at 8:00 pm; Sat., July 21 at 5:00 pm
Cast: Cherise Booth, Mike Doyle, Amy Redford, Makela Spielman, Tom Story, Jennifer Van Dyck

Guardians by Lucy Caldwell
Directed by Carey Perloff
Performances: Weds., July 25 at 8:00 pm; Fri., July 27 at 8:00 pm
Cast: Jeremy Bobb, Rebecca Brooksher

The Ballad of Emmett Till by Ifa Bayeza
Directed by Kate Whoriskey
Performances: Thurs., July 26 at 8:00 pm; Sat., July 28 at 5:00 pm
Cast:  Nicoye Banks, Cherise Booth, Daniel Breaker, Alexis Brown, Matt D'Amico, Colman Domingo, Nic Few, John Jellison, Warner Miller, Tom Sadoski, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Jonathan Walker, Jess Weixler, John Wesley

All schedules and artists are subject to change. Please call the O'Neill Box Office at 860-443-1238 for times, prices and reservations. Outdoor performances will be moved indoors in the event of rain. 

For more information, please visit the O'Neill website at www.TheONeill.org or call 860-443-5378.

Photo of Julie White by Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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