Coen's 'Almost An Evening' Opens at Atlantic Theater Jan.22

Atlantic Theater Company is proud to announce the world premiere production of Academy Award-winning film maker Ethan Coen's Almost An Evening, directed by Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe and featuring F. Murray Abraham, Jonathan Cake, J.R. Horne, Jordan Lage , Mark Linn-Baker, Elizabeth Marvel, Mary McCann, Del Pentecost and Joey Slotnick.

Almost An Evening will begin previews Wednesday, January 9, 2008 for an official opening on Tuesday, January 22,  and play a limited engagement through Sunday, February 10, 2008 Off-Broadway at Atlantic Stage 2 (330 West 16th Street).

Almost An Evening marks the first production of the 2007-2008 Atlantic Stage 2 season at the company's second stage theater, where two new plays are staged each season. Atlantic Stage 2's inaugural season featured Keith Reddin's Human Error and Kate Robin's ANON.

"In the world premiere of Ethan Coen's Almost An Evening, three short plays unsuccessfully tackle important questions. In Waiting, someone waits somewhere for quite some time. In Four Benches, a voyage to self-discovery takes a British intelligence agent to steam baths in New York and Texas, and to park benches in the U.S. and U.K. In Debate, cosmic questions are taken up. Not much is learned," explain press notes.

Academy Award-winning film maker Ethan Coen makes his Off-Broadway debut as a playwright with his production of short plays at Atlantic. He has made thirteen movies with his brother Joel, including the Academy Award-winning Fargo; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Raising Arizona; Barton Fink; The Hudsucker Proxy and The Big Lebowski. His most recent film, an adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, is now in wide release nationwide.  Atlantic artistic director Neil Pepe recently staged Harold Pinter's first and most recent plays, The Room and Celebration at Atlantic, and the world premiere of David Mamet's Romance at Atlantic as well as at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

Almost An Evening marks Academy Award-winner F. Murray Abraham's (Amadeus) Atlantic debut. He appeared on Broadway this season in Mauritius.

Jonathan Cake is currently appearing in Cymbeline on Broadway, and also starred in Medea on Broadway and in London's West End.

J.R. Horne returns to Atlantic, where he appeared in The Joy of Going Somewhere Definite . He has appeared on Broadway in The Crucible, Inherit the Wind, and recently completed filming the Coen Brothers' upcoming Burn after Reading.

Atlantic founding member Jordan Lage returns to Atlantic, where he most recently appeared in Sea of Tranquility. On Broadway, he appeared in last season's revival of Inherit the Wind.

Mark Linn-Baker appeared on Broadway in Losing Louie last season, and most recently in the new musical Romantic Poetry Off-Broadway.  He starred in all seven seasons of the ABC series "Perfect Strangers."

Elizabeth Marvel last appeared at Atlantic in Woody Allen's A Second Hand Memory. She won an Obie Award for the title role in Hedda Gabbler Off-Broadway and appeared in the Tony Award winning revival of Seascape on Broadway last season.

Atlantic founding member Mary McCann last appeared at Atlantic in the world premiere of Spring Awakening, and recently in The Cherry Orchard and The Night Heron. She is on the CBS series "The Unit," and appeared opposite Kate Winslet in the film Little Children.

Del Pentecost appeared on FX's acclaimed series "Starved" and in the Coen Brothers films O Brother Where art Thou? and Coyote Ugly.

Joey Slotick is a member of Chicago's Lookingglass Theatre Co. who has appeared Off-Broadway in The Altruists and on the television series' "Boston Public" and "The Single Guy."

The design team for Almost An Evening will feature scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Ilona Somogyi, lighting design by Don Holder and sound design by Eric Shim and fight choreography by J. David Brimmer.

Almost An Evening will play Tuesday through Saturday at 8PM, Saturday matinees at 2:00pm and Sundays at 3PM & 7PM.  All tickets are $45 and available by calling Ticket Central at 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com There will be no Saturday matinee on January 12, 2008. Opening night curtain on Tuesday, January 22 at 7:00PM.

Atlantic Stage 2 is located at 330 West 16th Street (between 8th & 9th Avenues).  For membership information, wheelchair seating, and/or group sales call Ticketcentral at 212-279-4200 or visit www.ticketcentral.com  For more information visit www.atlantictheater.org

Photo of Ethan Coen from WireImage.com