Previews for the drama — set in a small town and featuring Tony Award winner Victoria Clark as an outsider whose life violently merges with the family — began Nov. 14. Tony winner Bartlett Sher, the playwright's collaborator on The Light in the Piazza, directs.
The troupe playing members of the complicated Noone family (and those in their orbit) includes Cassie Beck, Zachary Booth, Tony nominee Jonathan Groff, Tony winner Michele Pawk and Skipp Sudduth. Performances continue to Dec. 21.
According to Off-Broadway's Playwrights Horizons, "A hell of a night for the Noones finds father Austin (Skipp Sudduth) watching his nature shows and trying to keep from falling off the wagon, mother Karen (Michele Pawk) keeping an eye on Austin, son Billy (Jonathan Groff) just back from Iraq, and pregnant daughter Marianne (Cassie Beck) upset about the state of her marriage to Tad (Zachary Booth), Billy's childhood friend who may still harbor a crush on him. As an enigmatic outsider, Dolores (Victoria Clark), relates a tale of taking responsibility for her ailing mother, an American family's long-held secrets are dragged to the fore in what may be its final reckoning."
The play includes direct address to the audience, as well as revealing subtextual asides from characters.
Sher is the Tony-winning director of South Pacific who also directed The Light in the Piazza, which had a libretto by Lucas. *
Lucas is the two-time Tony Award nominee, two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and two-time Obie Award winner who penned Small Tragedy (Playwrights Horizons), Prelude to a Kiss, Reckless, The Dying Gaul and more. His play The Singing Forest will have its premiere at The Public Theater in spring 2009.
Prayer for My Enemy was seen in an earlier, separate co-productions at Long Wharf Theatre (New Haven, CT) and Intiman Theatre (Seattle).
Pawk won the Best Featured Actress Tony for her work in Hollywood Arms. Her credits include Broadway's Hairspray, Mamma Mia!, Crazy For You, Cabaret and Off-Broadway's The Paris Letter.
Clark won the Best Actress Tony for The Light in the Piazza, and recently starred in The Marriage of Bette and Boo at Roundabout, Follies and Juno at City Center, How to Succeed... and Titanic.
Tony Award nominee Groff starred in Spring Awakening (as Melchior) and the recent and Broadway-bound Hair for Shakespeare in the Park. He recently filmed Ang Lee's "Taking Woodstock."
Theatre World Award winner Beck appeared in The Drunken City. Sudduth was part of Lincoln Center's original South Pacific cast.
Booth appeared in the film "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist."
Playwrights Horizons' production of Prayer for My Enemy features costume design by Piazza's Tony-winning costume designer, Catherine Zuber, plus scenic design by John McDermott, lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge and sound design by Tony Award winner Scott Lehrer. Production stage manager is Lisa Ann Chernoff. Music is by Nico Muhly.
Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage Theater is located at 416 West 42nd Street. The performance schedule is Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 2:30 & 8 PM and Sundays at 2:30 & 7:30 PM.
Tickets are $65. Tickets may be purchased online via TicketCentral.com, by phone at (212) 279-4200 (noon-8 PM daily), or in person at the Ticket Central Box Office, 416 West 42nd Street (between Ninth & Tenth Avenues).
For more information, visit www.playwrightshorizons.org.
