August: Osage County Elizabeth Ashley to play 'Mattie Fae Aiken'

Elizabeth Ashley is to play the role of 'Mattie Fai Aiken' in Tracy Letts' comic-drama August: Osage County, winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, from 3 Feb 2009. Ashley assumes the role from Molly Regan.

Elizabeth Ashley is currently starring on Broadway as 'Stella' in Horton Foote's 'Dividing The Estate'. Other recent Broadway credits include 'Enchanted April,' Gore Vidal's 'The Best Man', 'Garden District' and 'Agnes of God.' Ashley won the 1962 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play (Take Her, She's Mine.)

August: Osage County, currently selling tickets through to 21 Jun 2009, transferred to the Music Box Theatre on 29 Apr 2008 from the Imperial Theatre. The show played its final performance at the Imperial Theatre on 20 Apr 2008, where it opened on 4 Dec 2007, following previews from 30 Oct 2007.

The play opened to excellent reviews: 'Letts...knows just how to put the "fun" back into "dysfunctional.' (New York Theatre Guide), 'The most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years.' (New York Times); "You're laughing hysterically one minute and appalled the next as the 3 1/2 -hour play flies by" (New York Daily News); "It's enormously entertaining." (New York Post); "Ripping, riveting new play." (NewsDay); "One big, fat, juicy whopper." (Star-Ledger); "Most exciting new plays in years." (The Record); "So darkly delicious and ghastly that you're squirming in your seat even as you're doubled over laughing." (Variety).

August: Osage County: When their patriarch vanishes, the Weston clan must return to their three-story home in rural Oklahoma to get to the heart of the matter.

August: Osage County is the winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize, and five 2008 Tony Awards: Best Play, Best Leading Actress (Deanna Dunagan), Best Direction, Best Featured Actress (Rondi Reed) and Best Scenic Design.

August: Osage County now features Michael Milligan (Little Charles), Estelle Parsons (Violet Weston), Brian Kerwin (Steve Heidebrecht), Samantha Ross (Johnna Monevata), Guy Boyd (Charlie Aiken), John Cullum (Beverly Weston), Amy Warren (Karen Westo), Madeleine Martin (Jean Fordham), Johanna Day (Barbara Fordham), Dee Pelletier (Ivy Weston), Frank Wood (Bill Fordham), Molly Regan (Mattie Fai Aiken) and Scott Jaeck (Sherrif Deon Gilbeau).

The drama had its world premiere at Chicago's Steppenwolf, directed Anna D. Shapiro, where it ran from 28 Jun - 26 Aug 2007.

Anna D. Shapiro, once again directs the production, which marks her Broadway debut. The design team features Todd Rosenthal (sets), Ana Kuzmanic (costumes), Ann Wrightson (lights), Richard Woodbury (sound) and David Singer (original music).

August: Osage County is produced on Broadway by Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler and Jerry Frankel, in association with Steppenwolf Theatre Company.