Bebe Neuwirth Directs a Reading of Charles Evered's 'Class'

On Wednesday, September 24 at there will be an informal reading of a new play written by Robeson Center "Artist in Residence" Charles Evered. Evered's play 'Class' is a two character play about a jaded acting teacher and his mysterious new student. The reading will take place at 2:30 PM at the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts, and it will feature Tony Award winner Roger Rees, ('Nicholas Nickleby,' 'Hamlet') and Kristen Connolly ('Confessions of a Shopaholic,' 'The Happening').  Tony and Emmy winning actress Bebe Neuwirth will be directing this play reading, for which the suggested donation is $5.  Call 609-924-877 to reserve a seat.  The Paul Robeson Center for the Arts is located at 102 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08542.

Like a number of British actors of the same generation (John Hurt and Alan Rickman, to name two), Roger Rees was originally trained for the visual arts. He acted in church and Boy Scout stage productions while growing up in London, but studied painting and lithography at the Slade School of Art, and his first paying jobs in show business were as a scenery painter.

He turned to acting on a full-time basis in the mid-1960s. After his fourth audition, the Royal Shakespeare Company finally hired him as a bit player in 1968. He then worked his way up through the R.S.C.'s ranks, finally achieving stardom in the early 1980s in its production of 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickelby,' for which he won both an Olivier award and a Tony award. He was also nominated for an Emmy award for the television version of the play. By this time he had several TV movies to his name, but he did not make his large-screen debut until 'Star 80' (1983). More recently he has acted in several British and American TV series and in a number of independent films.

Roger Rees remains primarily a man of the theatre, however, with secondary careers as a playwright and stage director. He has lived in the United States since 1989.

Alexie Gilmore has starred in number of films including 'The Devil Wears Prada,' 'Descent,' 'Spiderman 3,' and 'Definitely Maybe.' Her tv credits include 'Hope & Faith,' 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent,' and 'Rescue Me.' Her theater credits include 'Last Train to Nibroc,' 'Antigone,' and 'The Importance of Being Earnest.'

Bebe Neuwirth is the daughter of an artist and a mathematician. Born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, she started out as a dancer. Her New York career started out in 'A Chorus Line'. She won a Tony Award for her part in 'Sweet Charity' and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for playing Lilith Sternin Crane of 'Cheers' (1982).

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd

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