Painting Churches: Kathleen Chalfant & Richard Easton

The Keen Company has announced that Kathleen Chalfant and Richard Easton will lead the cast of Tina Howe's Painting Churches, the 1983 Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Helmed by Keen's Artistic Director Carl Forsman, Painting Churches will open at Theatre Row's Acorn Theater on 6 Mar 2011, following previews from 14 Feb 2011, and run through to 22 Apr 2012.

In Painting Churches, we meet the Church family: Fanny (Chalfant) and Gardner (Easton). They are packing, about to move to a beach home on Cape Cod. Gardner is a poet and Fanny is from a "fine old family." Their daughter Margaret, an artist who lives in New York, has arrived to help them pack and paint their portrait.

This will be the first New York revival of Painting Churches, the comedy from the author of 'Coastal Disturbances' and 'Pride's Crossing.' In his review in the New York Times, Frank Rich wrote, "In Painting Churches, her beautifully written play, Tina Howe has dramatized an illuminating connection between life and art. And like the best paintings, Painting Churches rewards repeated viewings."

Painting Churches premiered Off-Broadway on 8 Feb 1983 at the McGinn-Cazale Theatre, produced by Second Stage. It transferred to the Lamb's Theatre where it ran for 206 performances. The play was filmed for PBS "American Playhouse" starring Sada Thompson, Donald Moffat, and Roxanne Hart.

Bios:

Kathleen Chalfant was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actress in a Featured Role for her role in Tony Kushner's 'Angels in America: Millennium Approaches.' Off-Broadway Chalfant played 'Vivian Bearing' in Margaret Edson's play 'Wit,' receiving Obie and Lucille Lortel awards. For her performance in Alan Bennett's 'Talking Heads,' Chalfant won a second Obie Award.

Tony Award winner Richard Easton's Broadway credits include 'Elling,' 'The Coast of Utopia,' 'The Rivals,' 'Henry IV,' 'The Invention of Love' (Tony Award), 'Noises Off,' 'Exit the King,' 'The Misanthrope,' 'The Cherry Orchard,' 'Hamlet,' 'Cock-a-Doodle-Dandy,' 'Back to Methuselah,' 'The Country Wife,' 'School for Scandal'. Off-Broadway credits include 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane,' 'Bach at Leipzig,' 'Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme,' 'Waste,' 'Hotel Universe,' 'Give Me Your Answer, Do!' and 'Salad Days.'