Burstyn, who previously appeared in the LAByrinth production of Stephen Adly Guirgis' Little Flower of East Orange in 2008, will star in the dramatic comedy about a playwright who finds that his own mother will play herself in his autobiographical play.
Additional casting will be announced shortly.
Obie Award winner Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park) will stage the premiere, which officially opens Oct. 30 for a run through Nov. 13.
The production will have scenic design by Tony Award winner David Gallo, costume design by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by Dans Sheehan and sound design by Brendan Connelly.
According to the LAByrinth, The Atmosphere of Memory "tells the story of playwright Jon Stone, who has recently found the courage to write his masterpiece: a play about his upbringing. But problems arise when his actual mother is cast to play his mother on stage and his estranged father remembers the family history differently. Jon is forced to rewrite not only his play, but his past as well. With twists hilarious and heartbreaking, playwright Katz turns Williams and O'Neill on their heads by imagining a world where the boundaries between life / art, and fact /fiction, are as blurry as The Atmosphere of Memory itself." Ellen Burstyn won a Tony Award for her work in Same Time, Next Year and an Oscar for the film "Alice Doesn't Live Her Anymore" — both in the same year (1975). Other stage credits include 84 Charing Cross Road, Shirley Valentine, Shimada, Sacrilege and Fair Game. She was also Oscar-nominated for her roles in "The Last Picture Show," "The Exorcist," "Same Time, Next Year," "Resurrection" and "Requiem for a Dream." She most recently appeared on the London stage in The Children’s Hour.
Katz's plays include The History of Invulnerability; Philip Roth in Khartoum; Burning, Burning, Burning; and What A Way To Go. He also co-wrote and directed John Leguizamo's Tony-nominated one-man show Freak on Broadway and earned an Emmy nomination for the HBO special based on the production. Katz is also directing the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater production of The Wood Off-Broadway.
For season membership passes visit LABTheater.org. Single tickets go on sale Sept. 14. The Bank Street Theater is located at 155 Bank Street.
