Clybourne Park: full cast announced

Playwrights Horizons has announced complete casting for the World Premiere of Clybourne Park is a deranged comedy about the cutthroat world of G-rated entertainment.

, a new play by Bruce Norris (The Pain and the Itc), opening at Playwrights Horizons' Mainstage on 21 Feb 2009, following previews from 29 Jan and running through to 7 Mar 2010.

Directed by Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park will feature Tony Award winner Frank Wood ('Side Man' and 'August: Osage County'), Emmy Award nominee Annie Parisse ('As the World Turns'), Jeremy Shamos, Crystal A. Dickinson, Brendan Griffin, Damon Gupton and Christina Kirk.

Clybourne Park: In 1959, a white family moves out. In 2009, a white family moves in. In the intervening years, change overtakes a neighborhood, along with attitudes, inhabitants and property values. Loosely inspired by Lorraine Hansberry's 'A Raisin in the Sun,' this pitch-black comedy from Bruce Norris takes on the specter of gentrification in one of America's most recognizable communities - leaving no stone unturned in the process.

The production will feature scenic design by Dan Ostling, costume design by Ilona Somogyi, lighting design by Allen Lee Hughes and sound design by John Gromada.

Clybourne Park will be Norris' first play to have its World Premiere in New York. While Playwrights Horizons presented his first New York premiere with 'The Pain and the Itch' in 2006, his previous five plays all had their World Premieres at Steppenwolf Theatre.

Bruce Norris (Playwright) is an actor and writer whose plays include 'The Infidel' (2000), 'Purple Heart' (2002), 'We All Went Down to Amsterdam' (2003), 'The Pain and the Itch' (2004) and 'The Unmentionables' (2006), all of which had their premiere at Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago. His newest play, titled' A Parallelogram,' will premiere there in 2010. Norris is the recipient of two Joseph Jefferson Awards (Chicago) for Best New Work. As an actor he can be seen in the films 'A Civil Action' and 'The Sixth Sense,' among others.

Pam MacKinnon (Director) recently directed Edward Albee's 'A Delicate Balance' (Arena Stage), the World Premiere of Richard Greenberg's new play 'Our Mother's Brief Affair' (South Coast Repertory), Robert Penn Warren's 'All the King's Men' (Intiman Theatre), Itamar Moses' 'The Four of Us' (Manhattan Theatre Club, Old Globe), Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's 'Good Boys and True' (Steppenwolf), the New York debut of Edward Albee's 'Peter and Jerry' (Second Stage, world premiere at Second Stage), Bruce Norris' 'The Unmentionables' (Woolly Mammoth), and the World Premiere of John Fugelsang's 'All The Wrong Reasons' (New York Theatre Workshop).

Frank Wood (Russ/Dan) won Tony a Award for 'Side Man' and also performed the show in the West End and in Australia. Other Broadway credits include: 'August: Osage County' and 'Hollywood Arms.' He previously appeared at Playwrights Horizons in 'The Wax' (2000). Film: Changeling; The Taking of Pelham 123; Dan in Real Life; and Thirteen Days. Television: Flight of the Conchords; Medium; The Sopranos; and Law & Order.

Annie Parisse (Betsy/Lindsey) is familiar to TV audiences as 'Assistant DA Alexandra Borgia' on 'Law & Order' and 'Julia Lindsey Snyder' on 'As the World Turns,' for which she received a Daytime Emmy nomination. She previously appeared at Playwrights Horizons in 'The Credeaux Canvas' (2001). Other New York Theater: Prelude to a Kiss (Broadway/Roundabout); Becky Shaw (Second Stage); Misalliance (Roundabout); The Internationalist (Vineyard); Monster (Classic Stage Company); The Crackwalker (Soho Rep/Walkerspace); The Wild Duck (NY Performance Works). Film: Definitely/ Maybe; Blackbird; Prime; Monster-in-Law; National Treasure; and How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.

Jeremy Shamos (Karl/Steve) has previously appeared at Playwrights Horizons in '100 Saints You Should Know' (2007) and 'Miss Witherspoon' (2005). Broadway: The Rivals (Lincoln Center); Reckless (MTC). Other Off-Broadway: Gutenberg! The Musical! (New York Musical Theatre Festival); Observe the Sons of Ulster... (Lincoln Center); Engaged (Theatre for a New Audience); The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Century Center); Hamlet and Cymbeline (NYSF/Public); Race; The Alchemist (Classic Stage Company); Stranger (Vineyard Theatre) and Corpus Christi (MTC). Film/Television: The Great New Wonderful; Trust the Man; and Hack.

Crystal A. Dickinson's (Francine/Lea) Off-Broadway credits: Broke-ology (Lincoln Center); Ruined (Manhattan Theatre Club); The First Breeze of Summer (Signature); Sun Down Names; and Night-Gone Things (Negro Ensemble Company).

Brendan Griffin (Jim/Tom/Kenneth) appeared in the World Premiere of Itamar Moses's 'Back Back Back' at The Old Globe, where he's also appeared in 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (as Christian) and 'Coriolanus.' Film and Television credits include 'The Nanny Diaries,' 'The Good Wife,' 'Generation Kill,' 'Taking Chance,' 'Guiding Light,' 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent,' 'Conviction,' 'One Life to Live' and 'Law & Order: SVU.'

Damon Gupton (Albert/Kevin) appeared last season at Playwrights Horizons as 'Greer' in 'Inked Baby.' Other Off-Broadway: The Story (The Public); True History and Real Adventures (Vineyard); and Treason (Perry Street). Film and Television credits include 'Twelve,' 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead,' 'Unfaithful,' 'Charles Foster' on the NBC series 'Deadline,' 'Law & Order' and 'Third Watch.'

Christina Kirk (Bev/Kathy) as appeared on Broadway in 'Well.' Other New York Theater credits include 'Oh, the Humanity and other exclamations' (The Flea Theater), 'God's Ear' (The Vineyard, New Georges), 'Lunch' (P.S. 122), 'Suitcase' (Soho Rep, La Jolla Playhouse), '[sic]' (Soho Rep) and 'Stage Door' (Here). Film and Television credits include 'Taking Woodstock,' 'Melinda and Melinda,' 'Bug,' 'Final,' 'Safe Men,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' 'Law & Order: Trial by Jury' and 'Stella.'