Janeane Garofalo and Lili Taylor are set to star as sisters in the Broadway premiere of Scott McPherson’s Marvin’s Room. The Roundabout Theatre Company production, directed by Obie winner Anne Kauffman, will begin performances June 8 at the American Airlines Theatre.
Marvin’s Room will open officially June 29. The limited engagement will play the American Airlines Theatre through August 27.
In McPherson’s widely acclaimed comedic drama, two sisters are reunited after 18 years when one is diagnosed with leukemia. After learning of her illness, Bessie (Taylor) attempts to end a 20-year feud with her sister Lee (Garofalo).
The production will also feature Celia Weston as Ruth, Bessie and Lee's aunt.
Marvin’s Room was developed and produced at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in 1990 and later in New York. The playwright also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation, which starred Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep as Bessie and Lee, respectively, along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. McPherson died of AIDS in 1992, and the film was released five years later.
Garofalo makes her Broadway debut in the production. The actress and comedian appears in the recent film adaptation of Stephen Karam's Speech and Debate; her additional screen credits include Wet Hot American Summer, Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce, Reality Bites, and The Larry Sanders Show, for which she received two Emmy nominations.
This marks Taylor's return to Broadway after 20 years; she previously appeared in the 1997 revival of The Three Sisters. Last year, she received an Emmy nomination for her leading performance in the anthology series American Crime; she picked up previous nods for Six Feet Under and The X Files. Her additional credits include The Conjuring, Public Enemies, and Hemlock Grove.
Weston, a Tony nominee for The Last Night of Ballyhoo, last appeared on Broadway in 2000's True West. She is most known for her numerous screen performances, including roles in Dead Man Walking, In the Bedroom, Junebug, The Talented Mister Ripley, and The Intern. Her upcoming film credits include Freak Show and In the Radiant City.
“Exploring an unsentimental reality with hope, compassion and a dose of wonderfully absurd humor, Marvin’s Room is a life-affirming reminder of the gift we give ourselves when we love unconditionally,” state Roundabout production notes.
The production will feature sets by Laura Jellinek, costumes by Jessica Pabst, lights by Japhy Weideman, and soudn design and original music by Daniel Kluger.
Tickets for Marvin’s Room are first made available to subscribers and donors. Visit RoundaboutTheatre.org or call (212) 719-1300 for more information. The American Airlines Theatre is located at 227 West 42nd Street, New York.
