Rachel Weisz to star in Plenty at Public Theater
Oscar and Olivier Award winner Rachel Weisz will star as Susan Traherne in the first major New York revival of David Hare's Plenty, directed by five-time Tony nominee David Leveaux, at the Public Theater during its 2016-2017 season.
Artistic Director Oskar Eustis released the following statement:
"Plenty is one of the great plays of the post-war era, and certainly its critical production was one of the high points of The Public Theater's existence. Now, over 30 years later, Plenty is a story of optimism and disillusionment that carries an entirely new power. We are thrilled to be welcoming David Hare back to the theater that was his first American home."Synopsis: "Plenty is the story of Susan Traherne (Weisz), a fiercely intelligent British secret agent flown into France during the Second World War. Susan's experiences among her war-time colleagues and over the two decades that follow are distilled in powerful scenes in this endlessly layered work about a woman of remarkable bravery, who cannot find in peacetime the values and relationships she cherished in war."
Plenty originally premiered at The Public's Newman Theater in 1982, directed by Hare himself, and featured a cast which included Edward Herrmann, Kate Nelligan and Kelsey Grammer. The play then transferred to Broadway in 1983, picking up a total of 4 Tony nominations including Best Play. The 1985 film adaptation, directed by Fred Schepisi, received 2 BAFTA nominations (for John Gielgud and Tracey Ullman for their respective supporting roles). Other cast members included Meryl Streep, Sting, Ian McKellen, and Charles Dance.
Additional casting and creative team information for the Public Theater revival will be announced at a later date.
Rachel Weisz made her Broadway debut, alongside husband Daniel Craig, in the 2013 revival of Harold Pinter's 'Betrayal.' She won an Olivier Award in 2010 for her performance as Blanche Dubois in a revival of 'A Streetcar Named Desire' at the Donmar Warehouse. Her other West End credits include 'Design for Living,' 'Suddenly Last Summer,' and 'The Shape of Things.' She won an Oscar and Golden Globe in 2006 for "The Constant Gardener" (along with a BAFTA nomination) and earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2013 for "The Deep Blue Sea." Other notable screen credits include "The Mummy" franchise, "Youth," "The Lobster," "Oz the Great and Powerful," "The Bourne Legacy," "The Lovely Bones," "The Fountain," "Constantine," and "About a Boy."
Rachel Weisz (Photo by Brigitte Lacombe)Originally published on