After The Revolution: cast announced

Playwrights Horizons has announced complete casting for the New York premiere of After The Revolution, a new play by Amy Herzog. Directed by Carolyn Cantor, the production will open at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater on 9 Nov 2010, following previews from 21 Oct and run through to 28 Nov 2010.

After The Revolution will be the second production of the theater company's 40th Anniversary Season.

The cast will feature Obie Award winner Mark Blum (Gus & Al), Tony Award nominee Peter Friedman (Ragtime), Meredith Holzman, David Margulies, Katharine Powell, two-time Tony Award nominee Lois Smith ('Buried Child' and 'The Grapes of Wrath'), Elliot Villar and Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Mare Winningham ("Georgia," "George Wallace").

The production reunites the complete, acclaimed cast from this summer's World Premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival.

In After The Revolution, the brilliant, promising Emma Joseph (Ms. Powell) proudly carries the torch of her family's Marxist tradition, devoting her life to the memory of her blacklisted grandfather. But when history reveals a shocking truth about the man himself, the entire family is forced to confront questions of honesty and allegiance they thought had been resolved. After The Revolution is a portrait of an American family, thrown into an intergenerational tailspin, forced to reconcile a thorny and delicate legacy.

The production will feature scenic design by Clint Ramos, costume design by Kaye Voyce, lighting design by Ben Stanton and sound design by Fitz Patton.

After The Revolution had its World Premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival, opening on 22 Jul 2010 and playing a limited engagement through to 1 Aug 2010.

Bios:

Amy Herzog (Playwright) received the 2008 Helen Merrill Award for Aspiring Playwrights. She recently completed commissions for the Yale Repertory Theatre and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and her play After The Revolution was initially produced at Williamstown this past summer 2010. Her other plays have been produced at Ensemble Studio Theater, American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, The Williamstown Theater Festival, The Actors Theatre of Louisville and the Yale School of Drama.

Carolyn Cantor (Director) directed Adam Rapp's 'Essential Self-Defense' at Playwrights Horizons. Other New York: 'Pumpgirl' (Manhattan Theatre Club), 'In A Dark Dark House' (MCC Theater), 'Something You Did' (Primary Stages), 'Orange Flower Water '(Time Out-NY 10 Best of the Year), 'Now That's What I Call A Storm,' 'Living Room in Africa,' 'Stone Cold Dead Serious (New York Times 10 Best of the Year) and Life is a Dream (Edge Theater); EVE-olution' (Cherry Lane), and 'Kitty Kitty Kitty' (SPF).

Mark Blum (Leo) returns to Playwrights Horizons having previously appeared in 'Gus & Al' (Obie Award), 'Table Settings,' 'Say Goodnight Gracie' and 'Little Footsteps.' Broadway: 'Twelve Angry Men,' 'The Graduate,' 'A Thousand Clowns,' 'The Best Man,' 'Lost in Yonkers,' 'My Thing of Love,' 'The Merchant.' Off-Broadway: 'The Singing Forest' (Public), 'Mourning Becomes Electra,' 'The Music Teacher' (New Group), 'Buffalo Gal' (Primary Stages), 'The Overwhelming'
(Roundabout), 'The Long Christmas Ride Home' (Vineyard), 'The Waverly Gallery' (Promenade) and 'Mizlansky/Zilinsky' (MTC). Film: "Step-Up 3D," "Shattered Glass," "Getting To Know You," "You Can Thank Me Later," "Stag," "Miami Rhapsody," "Worth Winning," "The Presidio," "Blind Date," "'Crocodile' Dundee," "Just Between Friends," "Desperately Seeking Susan" and "Lovesick." TV: "The Good Wife," "Jesse Stone," "Fringe," "CSI: Miami," "Law & Order," "L&O: Criminal Intent," "The Practice," "Ed," "The Judge", "The West Wing," "The Sopranos," "Frasier," "NYPD Blue," "Indictment: The McMartin Trial" (HBO), "Capital News" (series regular) and "Sweet Surrender" (series regular).

Peter Friedman (Ben) originated the role of 'Tateh' in the musical 'Ragtime' in Toronto, as well as on Broadway (Tony nomination). He last appeared at Playwrights Horizons in 'Circle Mirror Transformation' (Obie award) and also appeared in the original 1988 production of Wendy Wasserstein's 'The Heidi Chronicles' (also Broadway). Other original New York productions include 'Annie Baker's Body Awareness,' Simon Gray's 'The Common Pursuit,' Charles Fuller's 'A Soldier's Play,' C.P. Taylor's 'And a Nightingale Sang' and Emily Mann's 'Execution of Justice.' He's also appeared in New York in 'Twelve Angry Men' (Roundabout), 'The Tenth Man,' 'The Loman Family Picnic,' 'My Old Lady' and 'On a Clear Day You Can See Forever' (Encores!). His films include "Spinning into Butter," "Safe," "Single White Female" and "Paycheck." On television he was a performer on "The Muppet Show" and a regular on "Brooklyn Bridge."

Meredith Holzman (Jess). New York: the world premiere of Julian Sheppard's 'Los Angeles' (dir. Adam Rapp), 'Ashley Montana...,' the world premiere of A.R. Gurney's 'Screen Play' (dir. Jim Simpson), 'JABU' (Flea Theater), 'Never the Sinner' (Woodshed Collective), 'The Impotent General' (Brick Theater) and 'The Violence Project' (La Mama). Regional: 'As it is in Heaven' (Opera House Arts), 'Lysistrata,' 'Ten Blocks on the Camino Real,' 'Snow White,' 'The After-Dinner Joke' (Hangar Theatre), 'Street Scene' and 'The Bluebird' (Williamstown)

David Margulies (Morty). Broadway: 'Wonderful Town,' 'Angels in America,' 'Conversations With My Father,' 'Brighton Beach Memoirs,' '45 Seconds From Broadway,' 'West Side Waltz,' 'Comedians,'' Zalman or the Madness of God,' 'The Iceman Cometh,' among others. Other Theater includes: 'Chasing Manet' (Primary Stages), 'The Accomplices' (New Group; 2007 Richard Seff Award); 'The Price,' 'Rocket to the Moon,' 'She Stoops to Conquer' (Long Wharf), 'All That I Will Ever Be' (NYTW), 'The Happy Time' (Signature, VA), 'A Thousand Clowns' (Roundabout), 'Hamlet' (McCarter), 'Hysteria' (Mark Taper) and 'The Rivals' (Hartford Stage). Film: "Ghostbusters," "Ghostbusters 2," "Ace Ventura Pet Detective," "Dressed to Kill," "All That Jazz," "Running on Empty," "A Jersey Tale," "Celebrity," "9 1/2 Weeks," among others. TV: Neil Mink on "The Sopranos," "Law & Order," "Northern Exposure," "NYPD Blue," "Chicago Hope."

Katharine Powell (Emma). Broadway: 'The Farnsworth Invention.' Off-Broadway: 'Election Day,' 'The Water's Edge' (Second Stage), 'The Voysey Inheritance' (Atlantic), 'Smashing' (Play Company). Regional: 'Happy Now?' (Yale Rep.), 'The Farnsworth Invention' (La Jolla), 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (ART), 'The Three Sisters' (ACT). Film: "The Girl in the Park," "Oranges," "The Baxter." TV: "Guiding Light," "Out of Practice" and "Without a Trace."

Lois Smith (Vera) previously appeared at Playwrights Horizons in '100 Saints You Should Know.' For her performance in Horton Foote's 'The Trip to Bountiful' (originally at Signature Theatre) she received Obie and Lucille Lortel awards. Broadway credits include 'The Grapes of Wrath' (Tony nomination), 'Buried Child' (Tony nomination), 'Time Out for Ginger' (debut), 'The Young and Beautiful,' 'The Iceman Cometh' and 'Orpheus Descending '(original production). She has a long history with Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater, where she first worked in 1988 and became a Steppenwolf Ensemble Member in 1993. She's a longtime member of The Actors Studio and has appeared in many plays both Off-Broadway and regionally. Her many films include her debut in "East of Eden" with James Dean and "Five Easy Pieces" with Jack Nicholson. Her television work spans live television plays ("Miss Julie," "The Master Builder"), series (Adele on "True Blood," Allison on "Desperate Housewives"), series guest appearances ("Grey's Anatomy," "Frasier," "Law & Order") and HBO films ("Truman," "The Laramie Project").

Elliot Villar (Miguel). New York: 'The Age of Iron' (Classic Stage), 'Coraline' (Manhattan Class Co.), 'The Brothers Size' (Public Theater), 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (New York Shakespeare Festival/Delacorte Theater), 'El Amor de Don Perlimplin con Belisa en su Jardín' (Repertorio Español), 'I'm with Mauricio' (INTAR Theatre), 'Playing House' (HERE Arts Center). Regional: 'Boleros for the Disenchanted' (Huntington Theatre Co.), 'The Brothers Size' (Studio Theatre), 'All's Well That Ends Well' (Yale Rep.), 'The Winter's Tale,' 'Much Ado About Nothing,' 'Richard III' (Shakespeare Theatre Co.), 'The Winter's Tale,' 'Othello' (Colorado Shakespeare Festival). Film: "The Rebound," "Two Lovers." TV: "Mercy," "Law & Order," "The Beautiful Life" and "The Return of Jezebel James."

Mare Winningham (Mel) earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film "Georgia." She most recently appeared Off-Broadway in '10 Million Miles' at The Atlantic Theater, earning a Lucille Lortel Award. Regional: 'Bonnie & Clyde' (La Jolla), 'The Glass Menagerie' (Old Globe), 'Side Man' (Pasadena Playhouse), 'Hurlyburly' (Geffen Playhouse) and 'The Genius' (Mark Taper Forum). Her many other film credits include "Brothers," "Swing Vote," "The War," "Wyatt Earp," "Turner & Hooch," "Miracle Mile" and "St. Elmo's Fire." Her extensive television work includes "Mildred Pierce," "The Maldonado Miracle" (Emmy Award nomination), "George Wallace" (Emmy Award), "The Boys Next Door" (Emmy Award nomination), "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Love Is Never Silent" (Emmy Award nomination), "Amber Waves" (Emmy Award nomination), "Grey's Anatomy," "Clubhouse" and "The Brotherhood of Poland, NH."