Reverend Tutu will assume the role of Lord Justice Steyn, a British magistrate who objects to the detainment of political prisoners at the title American military base located in Cuba's Guantánamo Bay for the Oct. 2 (8 PM) and Oct. 3 (3 PM) performances.
Allan Buchman and The Culture Project present the American debut of the London documentary drama Guantánamo: Honor Bound to Defend Freedom which opened at the 45 Bleecker Street Theatre, Aug. 26 following previews from Aug. 20.
Similar to the theatre's former tenant The Exonerated, the drama Guantánamo is based on actual testimony of detainees (as well as lawyers and public officials). Victoria Brittain and Gillian Slovo assembled the work from interviews (conducted in March and April 2004) of five British detainees at the titular Cuban locale who were released from imprisonment in late February.
Nicolas Kent and Sacha Wares direct the work which was commissioned (from an idea by Kent) by the Tricycle Theatre in January 2004. The show opened at the northern London Tricycle in May to sold out crowds and recently moved to the West End.
Angels in America actress Kathleen Chalfant heads a cast that includes Jeffrey Brick, Steven Crossley, Ramsey Faragallah, Andrew Stewart-Jones, Robert Langdon Lloyd, Aasif H. Mandvi, Harsh Nayyar, Maulik Pancholy (Aunt Dan and Lemon), Joris Stuyck and Waleed F. Zuaiter (Sixteen Wounded). The design team include Miriam Buether (set and costume) and Johanna Town (lighting).
Chalfant, who was in the original casts of Wit, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika, has also appeared on Broadway in M. Butterfly and Racing Demon. The actress has been quite busy Off-Broadway in recent years having performed in The Last Letter, Savannah Bay and Talking Heads — the latter two, at times in the same evening.
For tickets to Guantánamo at 45 Bleecker Street Theatre, call (212) 253-9983. For more information on The Culture Project, visit www.45bleecker.com.