Speed-the-Plow: Broadway revival, starring Jeremy Piven, to play bow in Oct

The New York Times reports that Jeremy Piven will star in a Broadway revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow, which will open in Oct 2008 at a theatre to be announced. The play will be directed by Neil Pepe and produced by Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler.

Speed-the-Plow: film producer Bobby Gould (Jeremy Piven) faces the ultimate dilemma. His best friend brings him the movie that will make his fortune; a beautiful girl offers him the movie that will save his soul. He only has one choice. In this tale of greed, seduction and power everything he believes in will be put to the test. When the biggest star in Hollywood wants to make your movie, just how far will you go to clinch the deal?

Speed-the-Plow was first produced on Broadway in 1988 at the Royale Theatre (now called Bernard B. Jacobs,) directed by Gregory Mosher and starred Madoona as 'Karen', Joe Mantegna as 'Bobby Gould' and Ron Silver as 'Charlie Fox'. The play was nominated for Tony's for Best Play and Best director, and Ron Silver won a Tony Award for Best Best Actor in Play.

This is the second Mamet play that will have a Broadway revival next season, American Buffalo is to play Broadway in the fall, directed by Robert Falls. That revival may star John Leguizamo though that is still to be confirmed. Mamet's November, is currently having its world premiere on Broadway, starring Nathan Lane, playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

American Buffalo was the first of Mamet's plays to be performed on Broadway. The playwright's other Broadway credits include: 'The Water Engine / Mr. Happiness' (1978), 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (1984, revival 2005), Speed-the-Plow (1988) and 'The Old Neighborhood' (1997). Mamet's play, November, starring Nathan Lane, is currently playing on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

Jeremy Piven trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop, founded by his actor parents Byrne Piven and Joyce Hiller. His film credits include: The Family Man, Black Hawk Down, Heat, PCU, Old School and Runaway Jury. He is known to many for playing the role of Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the HBO series Entourage, for which he was nominated for Emmy nominations for best supporting actor three straight years from 2005 to 2007, and won the award in 2006 and 2007. Piven starred in the Off-Broadway production of Neil LaBute's 'Fat Cow.'

Neil Pepe (director) is the artistic director of the Atlantic Theater Company,(which Mamet helded to start.) Speed-the-Plow will mark his Broadway debut.

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