Blood From a Stone at the Acorn Theatre from 13 Dec

The New Group presents the world premiere of Tommy Nohilly's Blood From a Stone as the first production of its 2010-11 season. The dark comedy opens at Theatre Row's Acorn Theater on 6 Jan 2011, following previews from 13 Dec and runs through to 5 Feb 2011.

Blood From a Stone is about a working-class wrestling to keep it together as day-to-day struggles exert their squeeze. When Travis pays a visit to his parents' home, he finds an already volatile household imploding and his close-knit but deeply conflicted family teetering on the brink.

Directed by Scott Elliott, this Off-Broadway debut by playwright Tommy Nohilly features Gordon Clapp, Ann Dowd, Thomas Guiry, Ethan Hawke, Natasha Lyonne and Daphne Rubin-Vega.

The creative team features set design by Derek McLane, costumes by Theresa Squire, lighting by Jason Lyons and sound by Bart Fasbender.

Bios:

Tommy Nohilly, a former Marine, is making his debut as a writer with Blood From a Stone. As an actor, he has appeared on TV's "Law & Order" and "Third Watch" as well as in films such as "Reign Over Me" and the Sundance winner "The Believer." He's also appeared as 'Carlson' in 'Of Mice and Men' at Westport Country Playhouse, directed by Mark Lamos.

Director Scott Elliott is the founding Artistic Director of The New Group, where last season he helmed the new musical 'The Kid,' based on the book by Dan Savage 'The Kid: What Happened after My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant.' With The New Group, he has produced over 45 plays, 20 of which he directed, including 'Groundswell,' 'Rafta, Rafta...,' 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,' the 2005 revival of 'Hurlyburly,' 'Aunt Dan and Lemon,' 'What the Butler Saw,' and 5 plays by Mike Leigh: 'Two Thousand Years,' 'Abigail's Party,' 'Smelling a Rat,' 'Goose-Pimples' and 'Ecstasy.' Elliott's Broadway credits include 'Present Laughter,' 'Barefoot in the Park,' and 3 plays produced by The Roundabout: 'The Threepenny Opera,' 'The Women' and 'Three Sisters.' He is also a film director and screenwriter.

Gordon Clapp (Bill) Broadway: 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (Tony® nomination). Television: Emmy-winner Gordon Clapp appeared for 12 seasons as "Detective Greg Medavoy" on "NYPD Blue." Numerous guest-starring roles on shows including "CSI," "Monk," "Without A Trace" and "Deadwood." He recurred as "Rose Byrnes" father on "Damages" and appeared in "Taking Chance" for HBO. Film: "Flags of Our Fathers," "Sunshine State" and "The Game Plan." Additional theater credits with the Young Playwrights festival and the National Playwrights Conference.

Ann Dowd (Margaret): Broadway: 'The Seagull,' 'Taking Sides,' and as 'Prossy' in 'Candida' (Clarence Derwent Award). Films: "Marley & Me," "The Informant," "Garden State," "Taking Chance," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Greencard," "Lorenzo's Oil," "Philadelphia," "Shiloh," "Shiloh Season," "Saving Shiloh" and "The Alice Movie." Television: Series regular on "Nothing Sacred." Recurring roles on "Freaks and Geeks," "The Education of Max Bickford" and "Third Watch," "Law & Order," and as a guest star on "House," "NYPD Blue," "The X Files," "Family Law," "Providence," "Chicago Hope," "Touched By An Angel" and more. Other New York Theater: 'Our Town,' 'Immaculate Misconception,' 'Happy Journey...,' 'Splitting Infinity,' 'The Woolgatherer,' 'Different Moon,' and T'he Mysterious Mr. Love'.

Thomas Guiry (Matt): Film credits include "Mystic River," "Black Hawk Down," "The Sandlot," "Steel City," "U-571" and "Yonkers Joe" among others. Television credits include a series regular on NBC's "The Black Donnellys," various "Law and Order" episodes, "CSI Miami" and numerous movies of the week. Theater credits include 'Sarah and Abraham,' 'The Tempest' and 'A Christmas Carol.'

Ethan Hawke (Travis): With The New Group, he directed last season's revival of Sam Shepard's 'A Lie of the Mind' and Jonathan Marc Sherman's 'Things We Want,' and played 'Eddie' in 'Hurlyburly.' Hawke appeared in Lincoln Center's Tony Award-winning productions of Tom Stoppard's 'Coast of Utopia' (Tony nomination) and Shakespeare's 'Henry IV.' Other Broadway: Chekhov's 'The Seagull. ' Off-Broadway: 'The Winter's Tale,' 'Cherry Orchard,' 'Sophistry,' 'The Late Henry Moss,' 'Casanova.'Films: "Dead Poets Society," "Before Sunrise, Before Sunset," "Gattaca," "Training Day," "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" and "Daybreakers," among others. Hawke has also directed two films and written two novels. He has been nominated for an Academy Award as both an actor and a writer.

Natasha Lyonne (Sarah): Most recognized from "The Slums of Beverly Hills" and "American Pie," Lyonne has appeared in over thirty films including "But I'm a Cheerleader," Woody Allen's "Everyone Says I Love You," "Robots, Kate and Leopold," "Party Monster" and "The Grey Zone." Recent theater credits include 'Tigers Be Still' (Roundabout Theater Company's Roundabout Underground), Nora and Delia Ephron's 'Love, Loss and What I Wore,' Mike Leigh's 'Two Thousand Years' at The New Group. Television credits include "Will and Grace," "Loving Leah," "If These Walls Could Talk 2" and "Pee-Wee's Playhouse." Upcoming film projects include "All About Evil" and "Thirteen."

Daphne Rubin-Vega (Yvette): Theater credits include 'Jack Goes Boating' (Film as well), 'F***ing A,' 'Two Sisters and a Piano' (Public Theater) and 'Bernarda Alba' (Lincoln Center). On Broadway, she appeared in 'Les Miserables' (Fantine), 'Anna in the Tropics' (Tony nomination; Best Featured Actress in a Play) 'The Rocky Horror Show' (Magenta) and 'Rent' (Mimi; Original Cast, Tony Nomination; Best Actress in a Musical). Select Film credits include "Jack Goes Boating," "Sex And The City" (film), "Flawless," "Virgin" and "Wild Things" (Blockbuster Award, 1998). She has appeared on Television in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" among others.