Heartbreak House

Project Shaw's 93rd production was HEARTBREAK HOUSE , apparently G.B.S's favourite play.

Performed as a staged reading at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side, we got five hours rehearsal for a three hour play. Craziness.

What a cast! Reg Rogers (Hector Hushabye), Maggie Buchwald (Narrator), Charlotte Rae (Nurse Guiness), Veanne Cox (Lady Utterword), Amelia Pedlow (Ellie Dunn), Maryann Plunkett (Hesione Hushabye), Adam Feldman (Randall Utterword), Jeff Mccarthy (Boss Mangan), TS (Mazzini Dunn) and Fritz Weaver (Captain Shotover). NOT PICTURED: Robert Hock as the Burglar.

Artistic Director David Staller knows his Shaw backwards and is a sage leader. He flattered us by saying we were all his first choices for this production.

The great Fritz Weaver was totally electrifying as Captain Shotover. I was privileged to play my big scene with Maryann Plunkett who created the lead in ME AND MY GIRL on Broadway and replaced Bernadette Peters in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.

The delicious Veanne Cox, who is being honored with a special Drama Desk Award this year for her contribution to Off-Broadway theatre.

Adam Feldman is the drama critic for Time Out magazine and I was riveted by his performance tonight because his voice was an absolute dead ringer for Aussie actor Andrew Tighe! I was delighted to meet Jeff McCarthy whose list of Broadway musical credits is as long as your arm and who will be Henry Higgins when we present MY FAIR LADY at the Guthrie in Minneapolis next month.

"Tonight, old man, you did it! You did it! You did it!"

And then there was Broadway legend Charlotte Rae who could not have been kinder to me or more complimentary. I was quite overwhelmed.

 

And in the audience, stage luminaries Rochelle Oliver, Joyce Van Patten and the incredible Elisabeth Wilson. Probably names not known to you but I was in fanboy heaven.