THE BIG BANG THEORY Star Kunal Nayyar Joins Cast of New Group's THE SPOILS

The New Group has announced additional casting and production dates for the world premiere production of The Spoils, a new play written by and featuring Jesse Eisenberg, directed by Scott Elliott. Kunal Nayyar ("The Big Bang Theory") joins Jesse Eisenberg in this production, which marks the third show in The New Group's current 20th Anniversary Season. Previews begin May 7, in advance of an Official Opening Night on Tuesday, June 2. A limited Off-Broadway engagement is slated through June 28 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (480 West 42nd Street).

Nobody likes Ben (Jesse Eisenberg). Ben doesn't even like Ben. He's been kicked out of grad school, lives off his parents' money, and bullies everyone in his life, including his roommate Kalyan (Kunal Nayyar), an earnest Nepalese immigrant. When Ben discovers that his grade school crush is marrying a straight-laced banker, he sets out to destroy their relationship and win her back. The New Group presents The Spoils, a deeply personal and probing comedy written by Jesse Eisenberg, in a world premiere production directed by Scott Elliott and featuring Jesse Eisenberg and Kunal Nayyar, as the third show in the company's 2014-2015 Season. Additional casting to be announced.

Jesse Eisenberg most recently wrote The Revisionist, in which he starred alongside Vanessa Redgrave. Previously, he wrote and starred in Rattlestick's production of Asuncion at the Cherry Lane Theatre. He is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker Magazine and the author of the forthcoming collection Bream Gives Me Hiccups, from Grove Press. He is also an Academy Award nominated actor, having starred in the films The Double, Night Moves, Now You See Me, The Social Network, Zombieland, Adventureland, and The Squid and the Whale.

Kunal Nayyar is best known for his work as Raj Koothrappali on "The Big Bang Theory" for the past eight seasons. The series has been nominated for multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, Critics Choice Awards and won the People's Choice Awards for favorite network TV comedy three years in a row. He is the voice of Vijay on the Nickelodeon animated series, "Sanjay and Craig" and recently recurred on the Vince Vaughn produced TBS show, "Sullivan & Sons." Ahead, he guest hosts "The Late Late Show" on CBS for three nights airing February 25-27, 2015. Nayyar starred in the feature film Dr. Cabbie with Adrianne Palicki. He lent his voice talents to the animated blockbuster Ice Age: Continental Drift and filmed the independent feature, Consumed, alongside Zoe Lister Jones, Anthony Edwards and Danny Glover. He also produced the documentary, Beyond All Boundaries, about the competitive sport of Cricket in India. His theater acting credits include Huck and Holden at the Dahlia Theater in Los Angeles, for which Nayyar was awarded Best Male Lead in a Play on the West Coast by the Garland Awards, and Love's Labour's Lost at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He recently signed a deal with Atria Books to create a memoir focused on his experiences growing up in India and his journey from New Delhi to Los Angeles. The book is expected to hit shelves late 2015. Kunal holds an MFA in acting from Temple University.

Scott Elliott is an award-winning stage director, filmmaker and the founding Artistic Director of The New Group, where he most recently directed the critically acclaimed revival of David Rabe's Sticks and Bones. Also at The New Group, he has directed world premieres by Thomas Bradshaw, Ayub Khan Din, Francine Volpe, Erika Sheffer and Tommy Nohilly; and the world premiere of the 2010 musical The Kid (Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical; Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Outstanding Musical). Other credits include The New Group's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie starring Cynthia Nixon; David Rabe's Hurlyburly; and numerous collaborations with Ayub Khan Din, Wallace Shawn and Mike Leigh. Broadway credits include Present Laughter, Barefoot in the Park, The Threepenny Opera, The Women and Three Sisters.

The New Group opened its 20th Anniversary Season with David Rabe's Sticks and Bones, directed by Scott Elliott and featuring Richard Chamberlain, Nadia Gan, Holly Hunter, Morocco Omari, Bill Pullman, Ben Schnetzer and Raviv Ullman, and is currently represented Off-Broadway by Joel Drake Johnson's Rasheeda Speaking, featuring Patricia Conolly, Darren Goldstein, Tonya Pinkins and Dianne Wiest, helmed by Cynthia Nixon in her directorial debut.

Photo Credit: Retna Ltd.

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