'Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress' Cast Announced; Opens at Geffen Feb.13

The Geffen Playhouse welcomes Evidence Room founder and award-winning local director Bart DeLorenzo to helm the world-premiere of Joan Rivers: A Work in Progress by a Life in Progress opening in February 2008. DeLorenzo, who is well-recognized throughout the LA theater scene for his experience with new works and world-premieres, is a fitting choice to lead the legendary Rivers on her autobiographical journey.

The comedy, which Rivers not only wrote, but also stars in alongside three other cast members, is a fitting peak to the Geffen's season highlighting women in theater. Set immediately before a big awards preshow, Rivers uses her dressing room (B, not A), her cheese plate (puny, not plentiful) and her producer (the bigwig's nephew, not the bigwig), as impetus for an introspective look at aging, going through life's ups and downs and being a woman in Hollywood.

Joining Rivers on stage is Emily Kosloski as the well-meaning but rather incompetent make-up artist, award-winning local actress Tara Joyce as the newly minted studio executive and prolific television actor Adam Kulbersh as the nepotism-blessed associate producer.

The play, previously entitled The Joan Rivers Theater Project, was workshopped at San Francisco's Magic Theater (directed by Mark Rucker) in August of this year to help develop the piece, and the upcoming Geffen Playhouse's production will mark the world premiere of Rivers' third full-length play. Rivers was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress for her last appearance on Broadway in Sally Marr and Her Escorts and gained international acclaim for her one-woman show Broke and Alone, both of which she coauthored as well. In addition, Rivers is a best-selling author, screenwriter, film director, columnist, syndicated radio host and Emmy Award-winning television talk show host.

Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress By A Life In Progress (World Premiere), by Joan Rivers and Douglas Bernstein & Denis Markell, begins previews February 5 with an Opening Night February 13, 2008. Performances are scheduled through Sunday, March 30, 2008

Show times are Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30PM; Friday at 8PM; Saturday at 4PM & 8:30PM; and Sunday at 2PM & 7PM. There will be no performances Wednesday, February 27 – Sunday, March 2.

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