Michael O'Keefe and Angelina Fiordellisi to Star in Cherry Lane's FIRST LOVE

Cherry Lane Theatre (Seri Lawrence, Janio Marrero, Co-Artistic Directors) is proud to announce that Academy Award nominee Michael O'Keefe and Angelina Fiordellisi will star in its upcoming Founder's Project presentation of Charles Mee's FIRST LOVE, directed by Kim Weild. Performances will begin on June 7, the production will open on June 14 and run through July 8 at Cherry Lane Theatre (38 Commerce Street). Tickets are $65-$95 and are available at www.cherrylanetheatre.org or by calling Ovation Tix at 1.866.811.4111.

A couple in their sixties meet and fall in love for the first time in their lives. Through the eyes of celebrated playwright Charles Mee, First Love embraces Edith and Harold as they work their way toward one another through the accumulated baggage of their lives, wondering if they can avoid sabotaging the last chance for love they'll ever have.

As an actor Michael O'Keefe has garnered both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations. He's appeared in the films Michael Clayton, Frozen River, The Pledge, Ironweed, The Great Santini and Caddyshack among numerous others. Television audiences will remember him as Fred on "Roseanne". Other TV appearances include HBO's Too Big to Fail, "The West Wing", "Law and Order", "House M.D.", "The Closer", "Sneaky Pete" and "Brothers and Sisters". He's appeared on Broadway in Reckless, Side Man, The Fifth of July and Mass Appeal, for which he received a Theater World Award. As a writer his lyrics were in the Grammy-winning song, Longing in their Hearts, which was composed and sung by Bonnie Raitt. He's also written with Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady and numerous other composers. His writing has appeared in BOMB, Lake Affect and Chaparral. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College.

Angelina Fiordellisi has acted on Broadway, Off-Broadway, 3 National Tours and in regional theaters across the country. Highlights includeZorba with Anthony Quinn, Annie, Out of the Mouths of Babes, Snow Orchid, The Traveling Lady, Catch the Butcher, Nunsense, Man of La Mancha, Private Lives, Blithe Spirit, Tamara, What the Butler Saw and The Gravity of Honey. Film credits: When a Man Loves A Woman, Where the Heart Is, Walker Payne, Big Stone Gap, Straight Outta Tompkins, Out of Darkness, Delusion and Word of Honor. Television credits: "Law & Order," "LA Law," "Star Trek: TNG," "Crime and Punishment," "The Cosby Show," "Roseanne," "Thunder Alley" and "The Kennedy Center Honors Program". Angelina owns and runs the historic Cherry Lane Theatre, celebrating its 95th Anniversary in Greenwich Village. She founded Cherry Lane Alternative, a not-for-profit organization in residence. During her time at Cherry Lane she has produced 100+ plays to date and served 3,500 artists. She created a number of new play development programs and co-founded the Obie Award-winning Mentor Project with Edward Albee, Charles Fuller, A. R. Gurney, Tony Kushner, Wendy Wasserstein, Michael Weller and Susann Brinkley, launching 61 emerging playwrights including Jocelyn Bioh, Sheila Callaghan, Katori Hall and Rajiv Joseph. She won a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critic's Circle and Drama League awards as co-producer of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf starring Tracy Letts and Amy Morton and a Drama Desk award for producing Will Eno's The Realistic Jonesesstarring Tony Collette, Michael C. Hall, Tracy Letts and Marissa Tomei. Teachers/Mentors: José Quintero, Billie Allen, Charles Nelson Reilly, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Manuel Duque, David Regal and Arthur Beer. Most valued credits: Wife by Matt Williams and Mater by Matisse Elizabeth and Fredrick Emerson Williams.

The show will feature set design by Edward Pierce (Broadway: Wicked, Amazing Grace), costume design by Theresa Squire (Broadway: High Fidelity), lighting design by Paul Miller (Broadway: Amazing Grace) and sound design by Christian Frederickson (SITI Theatre's Antigone, Trojan Women).

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