Speed-The-Plough to play at the Belasco Theatre

The 20th Anniversary revival of David Mamet's Tony-nominated play Speed-The-Plow will begin performances at the Belasco Theatre from 3 Oct 2008.

As previously announced the revival will be directed by NeilPepe, will star three-time Tony-nominee Ra�l Esparza ('The Homecoming,' 'Company,' 'Taboo') and the previously announced Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Jeremy Piven ('Entourage,' 'Smokin� Aces'), who is making his Broadway debut.

Speed-The-Plow is Mamet�s scathing portrait of the film industry and the people who are willing to sell their souls for sex, fame and fortune. Ra�l Esparza will play ambitious producer Charlie Fox while Jeremy Piven will play newly promoted film production exec Bobby Gould. The play begins with Fox coming to his long-time friend Gould after he unexpectedly gets the twenty-four-hour option to a prison movie. Their 20-year friendship undergoes a test of loyalty when Karen, the na�ve-seeming temporary secretary comes between the project with an agenda of her own.

Additional casting, creative team, theatre and dates will be announced shortly.

Speed-The-Plow was first produced on Broadway in 1988 at the Royale Theatre (now called Bernard B. Jacobs,) directed by Gregory Mosher and starred Madoona as 'Karen', Joe Mantegna as 'Bobby Gould' and Ron Silver as 'Charlie Fox'. The play was nominated for Tony's for Best Play and Best director, and Ron Silver won a Tony Award for Best Best Actor in Play.

This is the second Mamet play that will have a Broadway this season, American Buffalo is to play Broadway in the fall, directed by Robert Falls. That revival may star John Leguizamo though that is still to be confirmed. Mamet's 'November,' is currently having its world premiere on Broadway, starring Nathan Lane, playing at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

American Buffalo was the first of Mamet's plays to be performed on Broadway. The playwright's other Broadway credits include: 'The Water Engine / Mr. Happiness' (1978), 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (1984, revival 2005), Speed-the-Plow (1988) and 'The Old Neighborhood' (1997). Mamet's play, 'November' is currently playing on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

Ra�l Esparza most recently starred in the Tony-nominated revival of 'The Homecoming' for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Prior to that he starred in the Tony-Award winning 'Company' (2006 revival), for which he received Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards and a Tony nomination. His previous Broadway appearances include' Taboo' (2003) for which he also received a Tony nomination, 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' (2005), 'The Rocky Horror Show' (2000 revival) and Cabaret (1998). He received a 2001 Theatre World Award for his Broadway debut in the revival of 'The Rocky Horror Show' (2000).

Jeremy Piven trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop,[3] founded by his actor parents Byrne Piven and Joyce Hiller. His film credits include: The Family Man, Black Hawk Down, Heat, PCU, Old School and Runaway Jury. He is known to many for playing the role of Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the HBO series Entourage, for which he was nominated for Emmy nominations for best supporting actor three straight years from 2005 to 2007, and won the award in 2006 and 2007. Piven starred in the Off-Broadway production of Neil LaBute's 'Fat Cow.'

Neil Pepe (director) is the artistic director of the Atlantic Theater Company,(which Mamet helded to start.) Speed-The-Plow will mark his Broadway debut.