Mark Blum Joins The New Group's THE GOOD MOTHER Off-Broadway, 10/29-12/22

Mark Blum has joined The Cast of The New Group's The Good Mother, written by Francine Volpe and directed by Scott Elliott. He joins Darren Goldstein, Gretchen Mol, Alfredo Narciso and Eric Nelsen in the premiere of this new play, replacing the previously announced Bill Sage, who had to withdraw due to a scheduling conflict prior to start of rehearsals. Mark Blum's Broadway credits include Gore Vidal's The Best Man, Twelve Angry Men, A Thousand Clowns, Lost in Yonkers, and more. He has appeared previously at The New Group in Wallace Shawn and AlLen Shawn's play/opera The Music Teacher, among others.

Previews begin October 29 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street). Opening Night is Thursday, November 15 at 7:00pm. A limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated through December 22.

In this taut psychological thriller, Larissa (Gretchen Mol) is a single mother who can barely meet the mortgage on her house in Mount Vernon, NY. When a bizarre incident involving her 4-year-old daughter forces her to face someone from her past, her own questionable actions come back to haunt her.

Playwright Francine Volpe’s credits include The Given (directed by Michael Imperioli at Studio Dante, finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize), Late Fragment (Studio Dante), Sweethearts (The New Company), Giftbox (stageFARM). Her work has been developed at A.C.T., Arena Stage, Naked Angels, Rattlestick Theater, Soho Rep. Graduate of the Juilliard School, teaches screenwriting and playwriting at Sarah Lawrence College, ESPA, Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles. Member of New Dramatists.

The Good Mother features Set Design by Derek McLane, Costume Design by Cynthia Rowley, Lighting Design by Jason Lyons and Sound Design by Bart Fasbender.

The Good Mother plays October 29 – December 22 at The New Group @ Theatre Row (The Acorn Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street). Schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at 7:00 PM and Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8:00 PM, with matinees Saturday at 2:00 PM. Tickets may be arranged through www.telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200, or at the Theatre Row Box Office (12–8 PM daily). Tickets are $60.00 plus $1.25 restoration fee. For more, visit www.thenewgroup.org.

The Good Mother will be followed in The New Group’s season by two other world premiere productions: Clive, written by Jonathan Marc Sherman and directed by and featuring Ethan Hawke in the title role (previews begin January 17, opens February 7), and the new musical Bunty Berman Presents… by Ayub Khan Din (Book, Lyrics, Co-Composer) and Paul Bogaev (Co-Composer), directed by Scott Elliott (Spring 2013).