Desire Under The Elms: starring Brian Dennehy, Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber to play at St James Theatre

Coming directly from its critically acclaimed run at Chicago�s Goodman Theatre, Eugene O�Neill�s Desire Under The Elms, starring two-time Tony Award winner Brian Dennehy, stage and screen star Carla Gugino and Tony-nominee Pablo Schreiber, and under the direction of Tony Award Winner Robert Falls, will transfer to Broadway for a strictly limited 13-week engagement.

The production will open at the St James Theatre on 27 Apr 2009, following previews from 14 Apr 2009. The drama opens just days before the Tony eligibility cutoff date of 30 Apr 2009.

Desire Under The Elms also stars Boris Mcgiver and Daniel Stewart Sherman, and features design by Walt Spangler (set design), Ana Kuzmanic (costume design), Michael Philippi (Lighting Design), and Richard Woodbury (Original Music and Sound Design).

In Desire Under The Elms Ephraim Cabot returns to his remote New England farmhouse with his third wife�the alluring, headstrong young Abbie�launching his three grown sons into a bitter fight for their inheritance. When Ephraim�s youngest son sets his sights on Abbie, the resulting tempest brings tragic consequences.

�Desire Under The Elms is iconic. A highly passionate, shocking drama of three people tangled in lust and loathing, it�s the first great tragedy from the writer who I consider to be the American Shakespeare�our country�s greatest and most influential playwright,� said Director Robert Falls. �It was necessary for me to reinterpret this play with my longtime collaborator Brian Dennehy�who is considered by many to be one of the great O�Neill interpreters in the world�with two actors of remarkable depth and substance, Carla Gugino and Pablo Schreiber, to complete the devastating love triangle.�

The production began performances at Chicago's Goodman Theatre on 17 Jan 2009 for a limited run that was originally scheduled to end on 22 Feb 2009. The show's run has recently been extended through to 1 Mar 2009 due to popular demand.

Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler, the team that brought 'August: Osage County' to Broadway from Chicago, will be the lead producers. They are currently represented on Broadway with 'Speed-the-Plow' and Will Ferrell�s 'You�re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush,' both of which have recouped their investments. Their production of 'Blithe Spirit,' starring Angela Lansbury, Rupert Everett, Christine Ebersole, and Jayne Atkinson, will begin performances on 26 Feb 2009.

Brian Dennehy's (Ephraim Cabot) Broadway credits include 'Inherit the Wind' (Matthew Harrison Brady: 2007 revival), 'Long Day�s Journey Into Night' (James Tyrone - Tony Award for Best Actor: 2003 revival), 'Death of a Salesman' (Willy Loman - Tony Award for Best Actor: 1999 revival) and Translations (Hugh: 1995). His credits in London�s West End include 'Death of a Salesman,' for which he received the Olivier Best Actor Statue in 2005. Feature films include 'Righteous Kill,' 'War Eagle,' 'Welcome to Paradise,' 'Gladiator.'

Carla Gugino (Abbie Putnam) made her Broadway debut as 'Maggie' in Roundabout Theatre Company's 2004 revival of Arthur Miller's 'After the Fall.' Her most recent film credits include 'American Gangster,' 'Righteous Kill,' 'The Lookout,' the' Spy Kids Trilogy' and 'Night at the Museum.' Television credits include the title character in the ABC series 'Karen Sisco,' 'Threshold' for CBS, 'Chicago Hope' and 'Spin City'. She can now be seen reprising her role as 'Amanda Daniels' on HBO's series 'Entourage'.

Pablo Schreiber (Eben Cabot) received a Tony Award nomination for his Broadway debut in 'Awake and Sing!' (Ralph Berger: 2006 revival). Off-Broadway credits include 'reasons to be pretty' at MCC Theatre; 'Dying City' at Lincoln Center Theater and 'Mr. Marmalade' at Roundabout Theatre Company.

Boris Mcgiver (Peter Cabot) is making his Broadway debut. His off-Broadway credits include 'The Overwhelming' with Max Stafford-Clark at Roundabout Theatre Company, nine Shakespeare productions with Vanessa Redgrave, Mark Wing-Davey, Steven Berkoff, Brian Kulick and many others at The Public Theatre, and 'Cymbeline' with Bartlett Sher and Andorra with Liviu Ciulei at Theatre for a New Audience. On TV he has played 'Lt. Marimow' in six episodes of HBO's 'The Wire.'

Daniel Stewart Sherman's (Simeon Cabot) Broadway credits include 'Cyrano de Bergerac' (multiple: 2007 revival), 'A Touch of the Poet' (Mickey Maloy: 2005 revival), Henry IV (ensemble: 2003 revival and 'The Full Monty' (Dave Bukatinsky - replacement: 2000).

Robert Falls (Director) won the 1999 Tony Award for Best Director for his revival of 'Death of a Salesman' and was nominated for a Tony Award for his helmship of 'Long Day's Journey Into Night'. Other recent Broadway directional credits include: 'American Buffalo' (2008 revival), 'Talk Radio' (2007) and 'Shining City' (2006). Falls has been the artistic director of Chicago's Goodman Theatre since 1986.

Eugene O�Neill is considered one of the greatest American playwrights of the 20th century. His accolades include four Pulitzer Prizes in Drama�more than any other playwright to date�and the Nobel Prize in Literature. Since O�Neill�s death in 1953, his plays have remained popular on American and international stages and have become mainstays in literature courses throughout the world.