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Dividing the Estate: Lincoln Center to present Horton Foote's comic-drama at the Booth Theatre



Lincoln Center Theater, by arrangement with Primary Stages, will present Horton Foote�s new play, Dividing the Estate, directed by Michael Wilson, opening at The Booth Theatre on 20 Nov 2008, following previews from 23 Oct, for a limited engagement running through to 4 Jan 2009.

Tickets go on sale to the general public on 22 Sep 2008.

Dividing the Estate, a human comedy about a family that must confront its past as it prepares for its future, was presented by Primary Stages at 59E59's Theater A from 18 Sep - 28 Oct 2007.

The production featured a cast of 13 headed by Elizabeth Ashley, Arthur French, Hallie Foote, Penny Fuller and Gerald McRaney, with Devon Abner, Pat Bowie, James DeMarse, Virginia Kull, Maggie Lacey, Nicole Lowrance, Jenny Dare Paulin and Keiana Richard, all of whom will reprise their performances on Broadway.

The show received mostly good reviews when it opened off-Broadway: "This is one off-Broadway play that's worth the trip to New York." (New York Theatre Guide); "Wilson's splendid cast clicks so terrifically you almost don't notice the play's flaws." (New York Daily News); "Has the playfulness and tender affection for its characters that has marked his (Foote) best work" (New York Post); "Focused with satiric sharpness." (New York Times); "The subtle, honest humor that enlivens this work is pleasing to witness." (Star-Leger); "A chipper tragedy" (New York Sun).

The creative team for Dividing the Estate comprises sets by Jeff Cowie, costumes by David C. Woolard, lighting by Rui Rita and sound by John Gromada.

Horton Foote's drama 'The Young Man From Atlanta.' won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and its Broadway production at the Longacre Theatre in 1997 was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. The playwright has been awarded two academy awards, the first for his adapation of "To Kill a Mocking Bird in 1962, and the latter for his screeen play "The Trip to Bountiful" in 1985, which was presented off Broadway by the Signature Theatre Company in 2005.

Michael Wilson directed the Lincoln Center Theater's production of Horton Foote's 'The Carpetbagger's Children' in 2002 and Primary Stages production of Foote's 'The Day Emily Married' in 2004. Wilson's Broadway credits include 'Old Acquaintance (revival 2007),' 'Chtty Chitty Bang Bang' (2005), 'Enchanted April' (2003) and 'The Three Sisters' (revival 1997).

Elizabeth Ashley's (Stella) 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), She was last seen off-Broadway in 'If Memory Serves' at the Promenade Theatre in 1999.

Arthur French (Doug) was last seen off-Broadway in Signature Theatre Company's production of August Wilson,'s Two Train Running, for which he received the 2007 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actor for his portrayal of Holloway.

Hallie Foote (Mary Jo) is Horton Foote's daughter. She won the 2006 Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actress for her portrayal of Jessie Mae Watts in the Signature Theatre Company's production of The Trip To Bountiful.

Penny Fuller (Lucille) was nominated for the 2001 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Gabrielle Buonocelli in 'The Dinner Party'. Her last off-Broadway appearance was in Primary Stages production of 'Southern Comforts' (2006).

Gerald McRaney (Lewis) made his New York Stage debut with this production.

Originally published on

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