Charles Socarides to Lead LOBBY HERO Reading at Westport Country Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand playreading of the romantic comedy/drama, "Lobby Hero" by Kenneth Lonergan, 2017 Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay for "Manchester by the Sea," on Monday, March 13, at 7 p.m. The reading will be directed by Anne Keefe, Playhouse associate artist and curator of the playreading series. Tickets are $20 each.

"Kenneth Lonergan's work has always intrigued me," said Keefe. "He is a consummate screen writer and a wonderful playwright. His recent film 'Manchester by the Sea' reminded me that I should reacquaint myself with his plays."

Set in the lobby of a Manhattan high-rise apartment building, "Lobby Hero" is about Jeff, a luckless young security guard. When he is drawn into a local murder investigation, loyalties are strained to the breaking point. As Jeff's tightly wound supervisor is called to bear witness against his troubled brother, and an attractive rookie cop finds she must stand up to her seasoned partner, truth becomes elusive and justice proves costly.

The cast includes Robert Eli as Bill, a senior police officer (WCP's "The Show-Off," New Works Initiative reading of "The Forgotten Woman," Script in Hand playreadings of "The Country Club," "The Mouse Trap," "Mary, Mary," "Mister Roberts"; Broadway's "Tartuffe," "Saturn Returns"; television's "House of Cards," "Blue Bloods"); Elise Kibler, as Dawn, a rookie cop (WCP's New Works Initiative reading of "The Biggest Valley"; Broadway's "This Is Our Youth" by Kenneth Lonergan," "The Heidi Chronicles"; Off-Broadway's "Indian Summer," "Romeo and Juliet"; television's "Daredevil," "The Affair"); Charles Socarides as Jeff, a security guard (WCP's "The Dining Room," Script in Hand playreading of "The Mousetrap"; Off-Broadway's "Indian Blood," "Sons of the Prophet," "The Marriage of Better and Boo"; television's "Madam Secretary," lead in upcoming ABC mini-series "When We Rise"); and John Clarence Stewart as William, Jeff's boss (WCP's New Works Initiative reading of "The Biggest Valley"; Off-Broadway's "Choir Boy"; regional theater roles at Actors Theatre of Louisville, ALLIANCE THEATRE, Kennedy Center; television's "The Good Fight," "The Mysteries of Laura," "Gotham," "Blue Bloods").

All artists are subject to change.

Playwright Kenneth Lonergan's "Lobby Hero" was a 2001 Best Play nominee for Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. "The Waverly Gallery" was a 2001 Pulitzer Prize runner-up, and "This Is Our Youth" was a 1997 Drama Desk nominee for Best New Play. His latest film "Manchester by the Sea" won a 2017 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, among other honors. He co-wrote the film "Gangs of New York," which garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His film "You Can Count on Me," which he wrote and directed, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Screenplay, and won the Sundance 2000 Grand Jury Prize.

Director Anne Keefe served as artistic director of Westport Country Playhouse with JoAnne Woodward in 2008, and as associate artistic director from 2000-2006, also with Ms. Woodward. She co-directed with Ms. Woodward the Westport Country Playhouse production of "David Copperfield," and directed many Script in Hand playreadings.

The next Script in Hand playreading is "Lunch Hour," a romantic comedy by Jean Kerr, on Monday, April 24.

Script in Hand sponsors are Marc and Michele Flaster; Script in Hand partners are Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler; Script in Hand Corporate Sponsor is Northwestern Mutual. The series is supported, in part, by the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to The Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of The Playhouse campus. The Playhouse creates this relationship with the community and provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos, from May to November; educational and community engagement events and opportunities to further explore issues presented by the work on stage; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand playreadings throughout the year to deepen relationships with audiences and artists alike; the renowned Woodward Internship Program training program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations from November through April to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. The value of the Westport Country Playhouse to all it touches is immeasurable.

To post a comment, you must register and login.