JoBeth Williams & Peter Strauss to Star in LOVE AMONG THE RUINS World Premiere at Laguna Playhouse
Love Among the Ruins previews on Wednesday, October 26; will open on Sunday, October 30 at 5:30pm and perform through Sunday, November 13.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Sep. 01, 2022
Laguna Playhouse has announced that JoBeth Williams ("Poltergeist," "The Big Chill") and Peter Strauss ("Rich Man, Poor Man," "The Jericho Mile") are set to star in the upcoming World Premiere production, based on the 1975 ABC Theatre Presentation that starred Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, of the wonderfully romantic LOVE AMONG THE RUINS, written by James G. Hirsch and Robert A. Papazian, from a film script by James Costigan, produced in association with Papazian Hirsch Entertainment and directed by Michael Arabian. LOVE AMONG THE RUINS previews on Wednesday, October 26; will open on Sunday, October 30 at 5:30pm and perform through Sunday, November 13 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Dr. in Laguna Beach.
When wealthy widow and socialite Jessica Medlicott is sued for breach of promise by her money-seeking ex-fiancé, will her past as an actress help or haunt her? As highly respected, strait-laced lawyer Sir Arthur Granville-Jones steps into the picture, he is driven to hilarious distraction by her larger-than-life personality. Based on the 1975 ABC Theater Presentation with Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, this world premiere adaptation of the courtroom classic LOVE AMONG THE RUINS is every bit as charming and delightful as the original film, which garnered a Peabody Award and multiple Emmys.
Michael Arabian
(Director) is happy to be back at the Playhouse where he directed Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, starring Leslie Caron and Tesla, starring Hal Linden, Dan Lauria, Gregory Harrison, Charles Shaughnessy and French & Vanessa Stewart. He has directed numerous west coast and world premieres in New York, Los Angeles and other cities winning over 50 awards, one being the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for outstanding production and direction for Waiting For Godot at the Mark Taper Forum/Music Center. He founded Theatre InSite at CBS Studios Radford doing immersive productions on their backlot and live TV pilots where "Third Rock From The Sun" was picked up.
ROBERT A. PAPAZIAN AND JAMES G. HIRSCH
(Playwrights/Co-Producers) are award- winning producers of the critically acclaimed production of NBC's Inherit the Wind, and Hirsch's WGA nominated script, "The Rape of Richard Beck," which garnered Richard Crenna an Emmy for best actor, and have been recognized as two of the entertainment industry's most successful and creative producers, writers, executives, and studio operators. Their prodigious body of producing work includes more than 60 television movies, miniseries and series. Bob and Jim developed, and produced HBO's critically acclaimed smash success, "Rome." Other television laurels include the all-time top-rated multi-Emmy nominated television movie, "The Day After" (ABC), "Crazy From the Heart" (TNT), for which Christine Lahti won the coveted ACE Award, and the highly acclaimed ABC Theater presentation, "The Boys," starring John Lithgow and James Woods.
While still active as writer/producers, in 1997 Papazian and Hirsch co-founded RAY-ART Studios, the first full-service, state-of-the-art production facility which housed many of Hollywood's leading independent producers, studios and networks.
James Costigan
(Teleplay) won three Emmy Awards, for "Little Moon of Alban" (which appeared on the Hallmark Hall of Fame), "Love Among the Ruins," a TV movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier, and "Eleanor and Franklin." He was also nominated for an Emmy for his adaptation of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw." His Broadway play, the comedy Baby Want a Kiss, was a success. Put on under the aegis of The Actors Studio and starring superstar Paul Newman and his wife, Oscar-winner Joanne Woodward, the play ran for 148 performances. James Costigan died of heart failure on December 19, 2007. He was 81 years old.
JoBeth Williams
(Jessica Medlicott) has starred in the films "Poltergeist," "The Big Chill," Blake Edward's "Switch," Fever Pitch," "The Big Year" opposite Steve Martin, "Kramer vs Kramer," and over thirty others. She began her career in the theater at Trinity Repertory Theater before moving to New York, where she starred in Annie Baker's Body Awareness, and Last Dance by Marsha Norman at Manhattan Theater Club and John Guare's Gardenia. Also in New York, JoBeth starred in Moonchildren, Ladyhouse Blues, The Vagina Monologues, and A Couple of White Chicks. She starred opposite Stacy Keach in Idiot's Delight at The Kennedy Center, Antony and Cleopatra at The Old Globe, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at The McCarter, Threepenny Opera and Grand Horizons at Williamstown. In Los Angeles, she appeared in Halley Fieffer's A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Memorial Sloan Kettering and Jane Anderson's The Quality of Life at The Geffen Playhouse, Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities at the Taper, The Night Is A Child at Pasadena Playhouse, Fall to Earth at the Odyssey Theater, and most recently, The Gin Game at the Rubicon Theatre. JoBeth has received three Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations for her work in the television movies, "Adam" and "Baby M.," and the series "Frasier," "Private Practice," "Marry Me," and "Hart of Dixie." She was nominated for an Oscar for directing and producing the short film "On Hope."
Peter Strauss
(Sir Arthur Granville-Jones) recently appeared in "Operation Finale" with Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac. He recently directed and appeared with Marsha Mason and Jean Smart in two staged reading productions of Bruce Graham's play The Outgoing Tide. Born in New York City, he attended The Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY and graduated from Northwestern University. He starred on Broadway in Einstein and the Polar Bear. Off- Broadway he was seen as Ben Bradley in Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers at New York Theater Workshop, Sabina at Primary Stages, Chinese Friends at Playwrights Horizons and The Outgoing Tide at Primary Stages. Films include "The Last Tycoon," "The Secret of Nimh," "Nick of Time," "xx2: State of the Union," and "License to Wed." Select television credits include: "Rich Man, Poor Man," "Masada," "The Jericho Mile," "Heart of Steel," "Tender is the Night," "Kane and Abel," "Men Don't Tell,'' and "The Yearling." He won the Emmy Award as Best Actor in the film "The Jericho Mile." He is married to actress Rachel Ticotin and they have three children. He currently resides in Ojai, California and farms 400 tons of citrus per year. He is an avid gardener specializing in Mediterranean plants and South African and Mexican cacti.
The Cast of LOVE AMONG THE RUINS also features (in alphabetical order): Ava Burton as the "Stenographer," CJ Blaine Eldred as "Alfred Pratt," Martin Kildare as "George Druise," Tom Shelton as "Judge Philip Tandy," Katy Tang as "Hermione Davis," Tyee Tilghman as "Sir John Francis Divine," Patrick Merck Vest as "Herbert/Bailiff," and Wendy Worthington as "Fanny Pratt." The understudy is Nick Molari.
The Design Team for LOVE AMONG THE RUINS is: Scenic Design by Stephen Gifford; Costume Design by David Kay Mickelsen; Lighting Design by Jared A. Sayeg; Sound Design by Ian Scot; Projection Design by Brian Gale; Properties Design by Kevin Williams; Hair and Wig Design by Allison Lowery; Dialect Coach is Joel Goldes. The Casting Directors are Michael Donovan, CSA, Mary Jo Slater, CSA and Richie Ferris, CSA. The Casting Associate is Kimberly Ehrlich, CSA. The Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet. The Assistant Stage Manager is Kathryn Davies.
ABOUT THE SCHEDULE AND PRICING
LOVE AMONG THE RUINS will preview on Wednesday, October 26 at 7:30pm; Thursday, October 27 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Friday, October 28 at 7:30pm & Saturday, October 29 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; will open on Sunday, October 30 at 5:30pm and perform through Sunday, November 13 at 1:00pm at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive in Laguna Beach.
Performances will be Wednesdays through Fridays at 7:30pm; Saturdays at 2pm & 7:30pm; Sundays at 1:00pm & 5:30pm. There will be added performances on Thursday, November 3 at 2:00pm and Tuesday, November 8 at 7:30pm. There will be no performance on Sunday, November 13 at 5:30pm.
Tickets range from $50 - $75 and can be purchased online at www.lagunaplayhouse.com or by calling (949) 497-ARTS (2787). Group discounts are available by calling 949-497-2787 ext. 229. Prices subject to change.
The box office is open Mondays - Saturdays: 12p.m. to 4p.m.; Sundays open 2 hours prior to show time until 15 minutes after curtain. Open until showtime on all performance days.
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